Your Biggest Mistake
by justsmile17
Summary: AU - "What are we doing, Bellamy?" Clarke asked, her voice sounding lost and tired. He looked down at her, confusion clear in his eyes. "We've been down this road before," she continued. "It didn't end well for either of us. Why bother bringing up painful memories that neither of us want to face?" "It's just one night Clarke," he whispered. "One night, one dance."
1. Just One Dance

**Author's Note: Damn it. I've done it again. This idea has been stuck in my head since my vacation and I just spent most of the day writing this. It's AU, obviously, and for now it's just a one shot. Give it a read and let me know what you think!**

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Bellamy Blake was going to burn in hell and he couldn't muster up the energy to give a damn. The moment that she had walked through the front doors he hadn't taken his eyes off her, and the direction that his thoughts had taken would have made his mother faint.

Clarke Griffin. Ex-childhood friend. Ex-girlfriend. Ex-lover.

He sipped at the glass of wine that he held in his hand, only half listening to the group of people that he was currently mingling with. The other half of him couldn't look away from the girl that he had once loved.

He hadn't known she was going to be here, though maybe he should have. After all, he was throwing a charity event for the hospital where Octavia was currently doing her residency program. The siblings never talked about Clarke anymore, but he knew that they had both gone to college and then medical school together. He should have guessed that they would end up in the same program.

A waiter came around with a tray full of wine glasses and he watched Clarke take one, sending a small smile to the waiter in thanks. She took a sip, casually surveying the people in the room. He thanked every god out there that Murphy had retired upstairs, a gorgeous brunette clinging to his arm.

The woman standing in front of him looked different then the girl he used to know.

It was a cliché thought, but she had blossomed beautifully.

She was wearing a dark blue, off the shoulder cocktail dress that ended mid-thigh and clung to all his favorite places. The dress showcased her breasts magnificently and the matching fuck-me shoes helped enhance her mile long legs. Her golden blonde hair was swept up in a simple hairstyle, one that practically begged a man to tug it down. He felt a familiar stirring in his pants and had to take a deep breath to control his reaction.

She looked beautiful. Exquisite. He had to stifle the urge to tear down the nearest curtain and wrap her in it so that none of the hovering men could look at what was rightfully his –

He stopped that thought in its tracks, shaking his head slightly. She wasn't his. Not anymore. Long buried memories threatened to break free and he felt the old, familiar anger rising up again. No, she would never be his. He would never allow that to happen again.

A flicker of movement caught Bellamy's eye and he watched in annoyance as one of the male guests grinned at his friend and slowly made his way toward Clarke.

_Of fuck no,_ he thought disgustedly, watching the two of them chatting. He recognized Clarke's polite, but uninterested smile as she took a sip of her wine.

Murmuring a soft apology to the people standing around him, Bellamy finished his wine and placed it on a passing waiter's tray before heading towards the girl who had shattered his heart.

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**Clarke's POV**

Clarke was going to kill Octavia Blake. She just had to go and get sick the night that they were both supposed to go to this stupid charity event. They had RSVP'd yes months ago, shrugging and feeling like they were going to need a night out after a few rigorous months of being a resident. They were supposed to be here together, drinking free wine and making fun of the stuffy, rich guests that usually attended these things.

Instead, she was standing here, forcing small talk with a man who was grinning down at her like he was about to score for the night. She took another sip of wine, making occasional noncommittal noises where it seemed appropriate as he kept up his dreadfully boring monologue.

And then _he _was there, heading towards her. She found herself drinking him in eagerly before she could remember that she was supposed to hate his guts.

It was hard for a man dressed in a tux to appear dangerous and sexy, but Bellamy Blake pulled it off with effortless ease. Maybe it was the way his chest and arms looked snug in the tux jacket. Maybe it was the way his dark brown eyes simmered with an unnamed emotion, or the way the corner of his mouth tilted up into his signature smirk. Or maybe it was the mixture confidence and arrogance that exuded from his every pore.

She wasn't sure. All she knew was that for a moment, her heart pounded hard in her chest, and her reaction to his nearness fizzled through her veins.

Furious with herself, she fixed her attention back on the man still blathering on to her. She inwardly rolled her eyes. He didn't even notice that she wasn't listening to a word he was saying.

"May I cut in?" His deep voice washed over her and she had to clench her jaw to stop herself from biting out a sharp no.

Reluctantly, she turned to face him, a combination of fury, pain and longing running through her as she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she said, pasting a fake smile on her face. "I'm having a very nice conversation with…" She trailed off, realizing too late that she didn't remember this guy's name.

"Jonathan," the other guy prompted, looking slightly offended.

"Right, sorry," she said, shooting him an apologetic grin. She turned back to Bellamy. "I'm having a very nice conversation with Jonathan here. Maybe another time."

His eyes darkened for a moment, and Clarke belatedly remembered that Bellamy didn't like it when things didn't go his way. A charming smile made it's way onto his face as he turned to Jonathan, slinging an arm over his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "I'm sure Jonathan doesn't mind. Right?"

Jonathan sent him an uncertain look, his gaze flitting between the two of them. Clarke's eyes shot daggers at Bellamy, realizing that he had effectively maneuvered Jonathan into a position where it would be rude to say no.

"No," Jonathan said, the disappointed evident in his voice. "No, I don't mind." With one last look at Clarke, he drifted away. Clarke forgot about him almost immediately as she glared up at Bellamy.

"How about a dance, Princess?" Bellamy asked, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

"Don't call me that," she snapped harshly, reacting to the sharp lance of pain that tore through her chest at his old nickname for her.

The grin fell from his face, his dark eyes serious. "Clarke," he corrected, holding out a hand expectantly. "It's just one dance," he added, noticing her hesitation.

Reluctantly, wondering why she wasn't turning on her heel and sprinting in the opposite direction, Clarke slowly placed her hand in his, allowing him to draw her onto the dance floor. It was filled with mostly older couples, though there were a few that looked to be closer to her own age.

The sultry sounds of a saxophone accompanied with the soft, tinkling sounds of a piano, and the low thrum of the bass drifted over Clarke as they stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Without taking his eyes off her, Bellamy drew her a step closer, clasping her right hand in his and placing his hand on her lower back.

She bit back a gasp at the feel of his skin on hers, cursing the dress that Octavia had chosen for her. It was like being branded. He waited, looking at her expectantly, and only began moving when she tentatively placed her other hand on his shoulder.

They moved fluidly across the dance floor, him leading and her following. The feel of him close to her, the scent of his cologne wrapping around her, and the slow notes of the music gave her a heady intoxicating feeling. She could feel the tension between them, and looking up into his eyes, she could tell that they were both lost in the past.

She shook her head at the familiar emotions that she'd tried so hard to ignore. It's been eight years, and it still just feels like yesterday. But they'd changed. _She'd_ changed. She guarded her heart fiercely over the past years, determined never to feel that kind of pain and betrayal again.

"What are we doing, Bellamy?" Clarke asked, her voice sounding lost and tired. He looked down at her, confusion clear in his eyes. "We've been down this road before," she continued. "It didn't end well for either of us. Why bother bring up memories that neither of us want to face?"

"It's just one dance, Clarke," he said, a pleading note in his voice that he seemed taken aback by. "One night, one dance."

She searched his gaze, noticing that he didn't or couldn't explain his actions. A small part of her, a weak part of her that she hated, was relieved to be back in his arms – and she wasn't ready to let go just yet.

"One night," she agreed, her voice hoarse. "One night, and then we can go back to pretending that the other doesn't exist."

His smile was relieved. "Deal." He was silent for a second, and she had to look away for a moment to control the expression on her face. "Where's Octavia tonight?" He asked, sending her into a smooth twirl.

"She got sick with a stomach bug," Clarke answered once she was back in his arms. "Though she swears it's only a 24 hour thing."

Bellamy let out a laugh at the look on her face. "Are you _pouting?_"

"No," Clarke protested, biting back a smile at the sound of his laugh. Bellamy was never one to laugh often, and every time she was the cause, she considered it a personal victory. "Octavia was supposed to be here with me tonight. She's not and look what happened!" She gestured between them.

"Aw Clarke," He smirked, tightening his hold around her waist and pulling her closer to him. He leaned down closer to her, making her breath catch. "Is this really that bad?"

"Yes," she answered honestly, staring up at him with wide eyes. "It's dangerous. Terrifying….painful."

"Exciting," he countered, brown eyes burning. "Exhilarating. Arousing," he added after a moment, a teasing glint in his eye.

Clarke stared at him for a moment in surprise, then she threw her head back and laughed. It took a while for her to calm down, though eventually she quieted her laugh, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Oh god," she said, swallowing a few stray chuckles. "I don't know why that shocked me so much. You always were a giant horn dog."

"You know, it's funny that you use the word giant along with the words horn dog, which sounds like another type of meat that kind of reminds me of my-"

"Okay!" Clarke interrupted loudly, unable to fight the grin spreading across her face. "I get it. Subtlety was never your strong suit."

They grinned at each other, and just like that Clarke was swept up in the intense, charming whirlwind that was Bellamy Blake.

She lost count of the number of songs that they danced too, but by the pain in her feet from these ridiculous shoes, she knew it had been more then a couple. They talked about a lot of things – Bellamy's mom, Clarke's parents, their jobs, and little irrelevant things that meant nothing. Sometimes they didn't speak at all, content to dance silently in the music flowing around them. By unspoken consent, however, they stayed far away from any topics that would only cause them pain.

For now both of them were content to prolong this fantasy a little longer, neither one of them were ready to face the harsh reality.

At some point later on in the night, Clarke stepped away from Bellamy's embrace as the song they were dancing to came to an end. She looked up at him, face flushed and eyes bright. "I need to get some air," she explained, panting slightly.

Bellamy looked at her for a long moment. "Come on," he said softly, grabbing her hand and leading her off the dance floor, across the ballroom and outside onto the terrace.

She detangled her hand from him when they were outside, and walked forward, breathing in the crisp California air. She leaned against the railing, admiring the twinkling lights in the gardens surrounding her.

She felt more then saw Bellamy walking up next to her. Truth be told, it was getting late and she should be heading home. Now that she was outside, the fresh air was forcing her to come back to the real world, the one where Bellamy Blake was nothing more than a memory in the past and a nearly forgotten pain.

She turned to him, but whatever she was going to say died on her lips when she took in the look on his face. His eyes were searching her face slowly, eyebrows drawn together and his lips pulled down into a thoughtful frown. It could have been a trick of the light, but she remembered that look. It was a look that said he was mulling over something, deep in thought. She waited while he worked it out; eventually he would say whatever it was he was thinking about.

"Ah, fuck it all," he muttered. It was a sound of resignation, as if he was unable to stop himself.

He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her forward with so much force that her mouth dropped open as she landed against hard chest. She watched as a muscle in his jaw jumped, before he ran a finger lightly down her cheek. "Still so fucking beautiful," he whispered, before crashed his mouth to hers.

His lips were hard and heated, then more demanding when she didn't respond right away. She should have known he would kiss her, should have recognized the familiar glint in his eyes.

All rational thought fled her mind after that as she tentatively opened her mouth to his. He responded eagerly, his tongue diving into her mouth, sliding over hers and exploring the roof of her mouth. Oh god, she shouldn't be enjoying this as much as she was. She shouldn't like how his arm tightened around her waist and the other hand dove into her hair, twisting the golden strands between his fingers. And she sure as hell shouldn't like his moan of approval when she nipped at his bottom lip.

He devoured her. Consumed her. Overwhelmed her to the point where she had to melt into his embrace, seeking more of him, more of his kiss. Her hands dove into his hair, which was longer then she remembered it being, and held him there, matching his fevered passion if not increasing it.

If there was one thing that she and Bellamy never had a problem with, it was the physical side of their relationship. It had always been this explosive, this earth shattering. It was enough to make you forget who you are and what you were doing.

It felt right. It felt like home.

As that thought drifted lazily through her mind, Clarke's eyes flew open, her hands coming up to push against his chest so fast that she stumbled back a few steps when he let go of her in surprise. Her hand came up to touch her still tingling lips. She quickly lowered it, clenching it into a fist when she saw that it was shaking. She was wrecked. Utterly wrecked. And all from just one stupid kiss.

"Clarke," Bellamy said, stepping towards her, his voice thick and husky with desire.

She held up a hand and he stopped in his tracks. "I can't," she said in an unsteady voice, swallowing the thick lump in her throat. She had shed too many tears over this man – she had sworn she would never cry over another guy again. She cleared her throat, unconsciously adopting the emotional detachment that she used when dealing with a patient. "This was a bad idea. We were living in the past, Bellamy, and there's just too much history between us to pretend that nothing ever happened. We had our one night. And now it's over."

With one last look at the burning emotion in his eyes, Clarke slowly and calmly walked away, while chanting in her head, _don't run, don't run, don't run. Don't give him the satisfaction._

Her carefully ordered world had fallen into disarray, and all it took was one look from Bellamy Blake. With the stubbornness and determination that she was known for, Clarke berated herself. Life would go back to normal after tonight.

Bellamy Blake was her past. To prove the fact, she kept her head held high as she walked across the ballroom and out the front door.

She didn't look back once.

* * *

**Bellamy's POV**

Bellamy stepped inside the ballroom after Clarke left, snagging a glass of wine from a passing waiter and taking a sip, leaning against the wall. He watched Clarke leave, hips sashaying in a delicious way, reminding him of the tightness in his pants.

His eyes glittered dangerously as she walked out the front doors and disappeared. Tonight, he would find a girl here to take care of his problem, but tomorrow… tomorrow was a whole 'nother story. He took a sip of wine, a predatory grin spreading across his face at the thought.

California just got a hell of a lot more interesting. Who knows? Maybe he'll even end up sticking around for a while.

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**Author's Note: I've never written a Bellamy and Clarke piece before, so be gentle with me Bellarke fans! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this.**

**Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think. I love to hear feedback :)**


	2. Can't Think, Won't Think

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed my story! I apologize that this took so long, but I wasn't entirely happy with it. I decided to re-write it and it ended up being kind of long, but whatever. Also, I apologize for any mistakes, this is un-beta'd and I'm sick. **

**Give it a read, and don't forget to leave a review to let me know what you think!**

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Chapter 2: Can't Think, Won't Think

A week had past since the charity event at the hotel, a week without any mention or sighting of Bellamy Blake and Clarke gradually relaxed, falling back into her normal routine. She had thrown herself into her work with an intensity that surprised everyone but her.

She got up, worked 10-14 hour days, ate a quick dinner, then face planted on her bed from sheer exhaustion. It had been like that for five days now, and she could tell Octavia was getting worried.

It was Friday and she had just spent a long day working in the emergency room. Wearily, she shrugged out of her scrubs, changing back into the purple v-neck and jeans that she had worn to work this morning. After applying some deodorant, she stuffed her scrubs into her bag, slinging it up over her shoulder.

The door banged open and Octavia strode in, unknowingly making an entrance even though it was just the two of them. Clarke sent the other girl an exasperated look, wondering yet again how Octavia was able to work just as hard as she did for just as many hours and still look refreshed and energized. Clarke, on the other hand, felt dirty and rumpled, and she was almost positive she looked it too.

"Hey," Octavia greeted, sending her a broad grin as she walked over to her own locker and began to change out of her own scrubs.

"Hey birthday girl," Clarke responded with a fond smile. "How's your day been?"

"Just fabulous," Octavia said, rolling her eyes. "I got hit on by an old guy with no teeth, and puked on by a ten year old."

Clarke laughed at the look on Octavia's face as she stuffed the disgusting clothes into a bag. "Well, it's a good thing today is over," Clarke said, following Octavia as she exited the staff room. "Are we still on for dinner and drinks tonight to celebrate?"

Octavia sent her a slightly sheepish grin over her shoulder. "Actually…" Clarke inwardly groaned at the excited, mischievous look in her friends' eye. "You know Jasper's new girlfriend Harper?" Clarke nodded, vaguely remembering the one time that she had met the blonde girl. "Well, she knows the bouncer at Aria, the new nightclub that opened up a few weeks ago. She can get us in for free and since it's my birthday, she worked out a deal where we get our own private section and discounted drinks!"

Clarke waved a distracted goodbye to one of their fellow residents before turning to frown at Octavia. "You want to go to a dance club?" She asked, suddenly feeling the exhaustion settle deep in her bones.

Octavia dramatically threw open the doors leading out to the parking lot, walking backwards with a grin on her face and her arms spread out to the sides. "Yes! I want to go to a dance club. Do you remember college, Clarke? Do you remember how fun we used to be?"

Clarke did remember. Well, most of it, anyway. Bellamy had dumped her the summer before freshman year started and the idea of being away from home in a new place with new people was exhilarating and exciting. She drank, she partied, she had a series of flings and it had been fun. She didn't regret it. The only thing she regretted was that it had been in response to the terrible, awful pain in her heart. It was either party a lot and pretend that everything was fine, or breakdown in her room with the covers thrown over her head. And she'd be damned if she let Bellamy Blake had that kind of power over her.

"Everyone used to want to hang out with us," Octavia continued. "Then we got into med school and there was really no time to go out and now residency is kicking our asses. We've fallen into a routine. A boring, depressing routine. We're 26 not 40. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I want to shake things up a little. So yes, I want to go dancing. Neither of us have work tomorrow and I want to get drunk, dance and meet some hot guys." Her smile dropped and she looked at Clarke with a mournful expression. "I miss having sex."

Clarke chuckled at the pitiful expression on her face, shaking her head as she slung an arm around her shoulder, steering her towards the car. "Me too, Octavia." she admitted. "Me too."

Octavia looked up at her with a smirk. A familiar smirk that sent an almost forgotten pang of hurt through Clarke's chest. "Yeah, you really need to get laid. Maybe then you won't be so cranky."

"You bitch," Clarke gasped, playfully shoving her away. "I've just been going through a bit of a dry spell, that's all."

Octavia raised an eyebrow as Clarke unlocked her jeep. "A dry spell?" She repeated in disbelief, hopping into the passenger seat. "That's not a dry spell, Clarke, that's more like a drought."

Clarke sighed, getting into the car and turning it on. "It's only been 18 months," she said defensively.

"Oh honey," Octavia patted her on the arm, a sympathetic look on her face. "That's so depressing."

"It's not that bad," Clarke protested half-heartedly.

Octavia ignored her. "Alright so, come over to my place around 9 tonight, we'll get ready, pregame a bit and then head to Aria where we can find some sexy, attractive men."

Clarke didn't want to argue, especially at the bright, happy look on Octavia's face. Octavia was her best friend – if she wanted to spend her birthday dancing at a nightclub, then Clarke was going to rally. She pulled into the parking garage underneath their apartment building and turned to face her friend. "Alright, O. 8 o'clock it is. I'll be there."

"You better," Octavia warned, holding up a finger and narrowing her eyes. She slammed the elevator door button and walked inside, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Actually, you better bring over some outfit choices too. Knowing you you'll probably show up in a pair of mom jeans and a t-shirt."

Clarke rolled her eyes. "Fine. But I get final say, and it's not going to be some skimpy scrap of clothing like the last time you dressed me."

"That dress was hot," Octavia insisted. "But whatever." The elevator door dinged and Octavia made to get out but paused, turning around and looking at Clarke with a concerned expression on her face. "Are you alright Clarke?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Why?"

Octavia shook her head slightly, looking troubled. "I don't know. I mean I know you work hard and everything, but you worked almost 70 hours this week alone. You sure nothing's bothering you?"

Clarke attempted a reassuring smile. "I'm sure," she lied.

Eight years ago, Clarke had made the decision not to tell Octavia about what had happened between her and Bellamy. She was sure Bellamy had told his sister something though, because during that summer Octavia was pissed at her. Before they went off to school Octavia ranted to her about how she was friends with Clarke first before she began dating Bellamy and it shouldn't matter what happened between Clarke and her brother. Clarke also suspected that Octavia saw how messed up Clarke was and felt bad. She didn't want to be the one who got between Octavia and her brother, so both of them kind of avoided talking about him.

She couldn't very well tell her friend that she was throwing herself into her work just because she had seen and spoke to Bellamy. Clarke refused to even think about that kiss. All it did was earn her a warm rush of longing as well as the sharp bite of anger. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"I'm fine, Octavia. Promise."

Octavia didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Alright, Griffin. I'll see you at 9."

Clarke gave a relieved sigh as the elevator door closed behind Octavia, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. They had lived together all throughout college as well as med school. When they both got placed in the same residency program they had talked about living together again, but decided that getting separate apartments might be a step towards adulthood.

So they got different apartments in the same building.

The elevator opened at her floor and she headed down the hallway to her room. After unlocking her door and tossing her bag on the counter in her kitchen, she stumbled into her bedroom, stripping out of her clothes, throwing on a long t-shirt and burrowing under her covers.

Already yawning widely, she set an alarm on her phone for 8:30 and promptly fell asleep.

_Clarke woke up to the sound of sharp rapping on her window. Jolting upright, she looked across her bedroom and her eyes widened, jaw falling open in shock. She sprang out of bed, eyes flickering to the door to make sure it was shut and locked, and ran to the window, opening it quickly._

"_Bellamy!" She hissed quietly, staring in disbelief at the sight of her boyfriend crouched on a tree limb outside her second story window, a pleased, cocky smirk on his face. "What are you doing here? It's only 11, you're early!"_

_She took a few steps back and watched as he lightly jumped inside, closing the window behind him and placing his hands on her hips, tugging her closer. "I missed you," he said simply. "You know I have a hard time falling asleep without you now." The honest, matter of fact yet casual way that he said it made her heart flop in her chest even after a year of dating. Her stern expression faded, a smile tugging at her lips. _

_Her parents were great, but completely oblivious. For the past couple of months Bellamy has been climbing into her window a few nights a week, but he always remembered to set his alarm before her parents or his mom woke up so he could sneak back home. _

_Winding her arms around his neck, she stared up at him, eyes twinkling happily. "I just left your house two hours ago," she teased._

"_Exactly," he pouted, pulling back slightly as he noticed her outfit. "Nice pajamas." Clarke looked down as well, and rolled her eyes when she saw she was wearing one of Bellamy's old soccer t-shirts. It was so big on her that it hit mid-thigh. "If you keep stealing all my clothes I'm gunna have nothing left."_

"_I don't know why you're complaining, you're always going on about how you love seeing me in your clothes."_

"_That's true," he nodded, his grip tightening. "I mean you always look sexy, but when it's _my_ clothes you're wearing…"_

"_You big caveman – "_

_Bellamy's eyes narrowed playfully. "Caveman, huh?" Clarke bit back a squeal as he suddenly bent down and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. _

"_Bellamy!" She gasped indignantly, the blood rushing to her face. "What do you think you're doing? Put me down!"_

"_Me no think," Bellamy grunted, making his voice deep and rough. "Me caveman. Me have no brain –" He jumped a little, asking in disbelief. "Did you just pinch my ass?"_

_Clarke giggled. "Well it is right in my face, and it's a very cute ass – "_

"_Alright, that's it," he declared, striding over to her bed and dumping her on it. Clarke struggled to stifle her laugh at the indignant look on his face, watching in anticipation, her pulse racing, as he climbed onto the bed with her, straddling her hips and pinning her arms above her head. "I'm not letting you up until you agree to never refer to me or any part of my body as cute, ever again. Good-looking? Sure. Handsome? Even better. Outrageously sexy and completely irresistible? Hell yes."_

_Clarke grinned up at him, twisting their hands around so that their fingers threaded together. She leaned up slowly, pressing a kiss to his pulse, her grin only widening as she felt him swallow. Moving her lips to his ear she whispered, "Maybe I don't want you to let me up."_

_Her lips grazed his ear and he shivered, the tension in the room completely changing. She put her head back down, her breathing picking up at the burning look in his eyes. "Little minx," he murmured fondly, before bringing his head down and capturing her lips with his. She smiled into the kiss, eyes fluttering shut at the familiar rush of warmth that his kisses always brought._

_Their lips moved in perfect sync, tongues meeting and withdrawing, teasing. Bellamy deepened the kiss, hips pressing into hers and making her gasp. Humming in approval, he trailed kisses down her neck, his warm lips moving slowly and torturously. Clarke's thoughts were frazzled and disjointed, but she felt a strong need to touch him, so she tugged her hands free, trailing them down his sides and up by his shoulders. They slipped under the hem of his shirt, enjoying the way his muscles twitched under her hands – _

_A loud knock sounded at the door. Clarke's eyes snapped open in shock and without even thinking about it she shoved Bellamy off her so hard that he fell off the bed, crashing to the floor. _

"_Clarke?" Her mother asked in concern, knocking again. "Everything okay in there?"_

"_Yeah!" Clarke shouted, wincing as her voice broke. She jumped out of bed, hushing Bellamy as he got up, cursing under his breath and rubbing his ass. "Yeah, you just scared me!" Turning to Bellamy, she pushed him towards the closet, hissing, "Quick! Get inside and don't make a sound."_

"_Clarke I'm not hiding in the closet – "_

"_Would you rather get caught by my mother?" Clarke whispered furiously. "If she catches you in bed with her teenage daughter, she just might castrate you – "_

_Bellamy paled slightly but nodded, getting into the closet without another word. After straightening her shirt and running her hand through her wild hair, Clarke went to open the door. Her mother was standing there in a pair of black sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt, her hair thrown back into its usual ponytail._

"_Hey mom. What's up?" Clarke asked casually, though her heart was still racing. _

_Her mother peered into the room, looking confused. "Did I hear voices in here?"_

"_Voices?" Clarke repeated, voice raised slightly. "Oh yeah, I was watching TV." She glanced at the screen and realized it was off. Shit. "I, uh – I shut it off," she said lamely._

_Her mother gave her a strange look. "Right," she said slowly. "Anyway, listen I wanted to talk to you. I have to present at a medical conference in Atlanta and I'll be gone for a couple of days – "_

"_Again?" Clarke asked in dismay. _

"_It's only for a couple of days, Clarke – "_

_Though Clarke felt angry and disappointed, she mustered up a smile, wanting nothing more then to get her mother out of the room at this point. "It's fine, mom. I understand."_

_Her mom gave a tired sigh, but didn't push it. "My flight leaves early tomorrow, before you even get up. I'll call you in the morning when I get to the hotel." She stepped forward, pressing a light kiss to Clarke's forehead. "I love you, Clarke."_

"_Love you too. Night."_

_Clarke closed the door and locked it again. She crossed the room and flopped on the bed, her mood officially ruined. Dimly, she heard the closet door opening, footsteps across the floor and then the bed sank as Bellamy climbed up next to her. _

"_Clarke," he said, tugging insistently on the arm that she had thrown over her eyes. "Clarke, look at me."_

_She sighed as she lowered her arm, looking up at him and seeing the concern in her eyes. "I know she's an important part of the hospital and that traveling and attending conferences is part of her job, but…. Between the conferences and the late hours I feel like I never see her anymore. That makes me sound selfish, doesn't it?"_

_Bellamy gently brushed a stray piece of blonde hair out of her face. "No, it doesn't. She's your mother, Clarke, it's natural to want her to be around."_

"_Yeah," she said, unconvinced. "I guess."_

"_Your dad will be home though, right?" She nodded. "That's something, then." Bellamy fell silent, eyes flickering between both of hers. "Clarke," he said softly, pecking her lightly on the lips. "It's going to be fine. Let's just get some sleep, okay?"_

_She looked up at him in surprise. "Sleep?" She repeated incredulously. "But before my mom came – "_

"_Hey, that is not all I think about!" He said, offended. She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, just some of the time. Most of the time. Maybe." The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "It doesn't matter, the point is you're not in the mood and I'm a considerate boyfriend. Now scoot over, you're on my side."_

_Clarke let out a snort, but moved over a little bit. "Your side? Bellamy, you're the biggest bed hog I've ever met. There are no sides with you, I swear, I almost fell off the bed the other night."_

"_Quit exaggerating, Clarke," he scoffed, shifting on the bed to get comfortable, nudging her over even more in the process and making her laugh. He hooked an arm around her waist, laying his head down on her chest. It was his favorite position and she frequently woke up sweating and partially crushed, but she never complained. Secretly, she loved it. Relaxing under his weight, Clarke lazily ran her fingers through his hair._

_Bellamy heaved a sigh, lifting his head to look at her with his chocolate brown eyes. "Alright, I have a confession to make." _

"_What?" Her hand stilled, a worried crease formed between her eyebrows._

"_I lied to you earlier when I said I missed you."_

"_Oh really?" She asked, eyebrows raised. _

"_Yes, really. Truth is the only reason I came over was because I was missing my girls." A cheeky, shit-eating grin spread across his face before he buried his face between her breasts._

_A loud peal of laughter escaped her before she clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle it. She allowed him a few moments of fun, marveling at the fact that she was already smiling and laughing despite her shitty mood just moments ago. Warmth spread through her body and her heart felt like it was ready to burst._

_Placing her hands on either side of his face, she pulled his head up so she could kiss him. The kiss was slow, tender and she tried to pour all her love and affection for him into it. Slowly, she pulled back to see he was looking at her with wide eyes._

"_What was that for?" He asked, huskily. _

"_I love you, Bellamy Blake," she whispered. _

_His smile faded and she paused, frowning. Something nagged in the back of her mind, something that told her that this wasn't right. That this wasn't what was supposed to happen._

_Bellamy looked down at her with a confused, slightly lost expression. "Do you?"_

"_What do you mean? Of course I do!" Clarke put a hand against his cheek, trying to understand what was wrong._

_Bellamy sighed, and the look in his eyes sent a rush of panic through her. It was a grief filled, heart-broken look with just a tinge of anger and regret. "Don't you miss me, Clarke? Don't you miss _us_?"_

Clarke gasped, bolting upright in bed, chest heaving and sweat making her hair stick to her head as her wide eyes stared wildly about her room. Once she realized where she was, her frantic heartbeat slowed down and she let out a groan as she flopped back in bed. What the fuck was that?

Her mind was trying to torture her – it was using her memories and twisting the endings in a way that made both her brain and her heart hurt.

She furiously ran her hands over her face, muttering darkly under her breath. It's been eight freaking years, why on earth is her brain bringing up painful memories _now?_ She didn't want to remember how good things were back when her and Bellamy were together. She didn't want to remember how damn happy she was.

She wanted to forget. Shaking her head, she slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom, jumping in the shower. _Maybe it's a good thing we're going out tonight,_ Clarke mused, scrubbing shampoo into her hair. _Friends, booze, dancing, maybe even some hot guys…_ A grin split her face as she felt excitement run through her.

Clarke quickly showered, even taking special care to shave for the first time in God knows how long. Granted, her hair was blonde so it was hard to see, but still, Clarke was pretty sure she was going to need a new razor after hacking through the forest of hair on her legs.

She finished her shower and got out, drying off and wrapping a towel around herself. Deciding to let her hair dry into its natural waves, she padded back into her bedroom and opened her closet door, rifling through her meager collection of clothes. With a glance at the clock she realized she was running late so she grabbed a bag and started stuffing random articles of clothing and shoes into it. Octavia had to approve at least one of them.

She shed the towel, threw on a plain shirt and a pair of shorts, slipped into sandals and slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbing Octavia's gift on the way out.

Clarke's eyes bulged out of her head when Octavia opened the door to her apartment. "Holy shit, Octavia. That dress is hot, you look incredible!"

She was wearing a skintight red halter dress that showed off her athletic legs. Her look was finished off with straight hair, simple make up and red kitten heels that matched her dress.

"You think so?" Octavia asked with a coy smile, striking a pose in the doorway, complete with a hand on her hip.

"If I wasn't into guys…" Clarke trailed off suggestively, wagging her eyebrows.

Octavia's grin slowly spread. "Like that one time during our senior year of college?"

Clarke narrowed her eyes playfully, pointing a finger in her face. "We agreed never to speak of that."

A flurry of movement caught Clarke's eye and she looked over to see their friend Raven peeking her head around the corner, her eyes alight with curiosity and interest. "What happened during your senior year of college?"

Clarke rolled her eyes in exasperation, thrusting Octavia's gift into her arms and brushing past her heading for the bedroom. "Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing."

The other two girls followed her in, Raven perching on Octavia's desk and Octavia sitting on her bed, the present in her lap. "Hey, if Miss-goody-two-shoes Clarke has a dirty little secret I want to know," Raven protested.

"There's no secret – "

"So Clarke and I went to this frat party senior year," Octavia cut in as if Clarke hadn't spoken at all. "We were both wasted, and this idiot bet us a hundred bucks that we wouldn't kiss each other. We became a hundred dollars richer that night."

Clarke shook her head at the fuzzy memory. "Drunk Clarke makes terrible decisions."

Octavia scoffed. "Don't pretend that you didn't like it. I'm a fantastic kisser."

"Yeah, except for the fact that you have a vagina instead of a dick," Clarke muttered under her breath.

Raven let out a surprised laugh, raising her glass in a salute. "I cannot wait to meet drunk Clarke tonight."

"Yeah, whatever." Octavia smirked as she snatched Clarke's bag up off the floor. Quickly, she rifled through it, muttering darkly under her breath as she threw Clarke's clothes over her shoulder in disgust and disappointment. Clarke caught Raven's gaze and they both rolled their eyes at their friend's antics.

Octavia suddenly paused, pulling something out of the bag and holding it up. "This. This is what you're wearing tonight," she declared.

"What? How did that get in there?" Clarke cried, leaping up to try and snatch it from Octavia's hands. "A sales lady spent twenty minutes trying to convince me to buy that thing and I felt bad. I've never even worn it!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

"Octavia there's no way I'd still fit into that, I'm not wearing it – "

"It's my birthday," Octavia said firmly, throwing the dress at Clarke. "Put it on."

"I can't believe you just pulled the birthday card," Clarke complained over her shoulder as she headed to the bathroom. "26 going on 5."

"It's my birthday!" Octavia called after her, the laughter clear in her voice. "Stop whining and I'll make you a drink."

"…Fine."

Once the door was closed, she stripped out of her clothes and slid into the dress, wriggling into it and awkwardly zipping it up. She turned to look in the mirror and her jaw dropped. It was a sleeveless black dress that clung to her like a second skin. She was fine with that. The part that made her jaw drop was the mesh v-neck plunge that ended by her stomach, and it was decorated to look like an open zipper. Like someone could just reach out and pull the zipper even further down.

What the hell had possessed her to buy this?

Clarke threw open the bathroom door, running through possible excuses in her mind. "Guys, there's no way I'm wearing this – " she stopped, frowning at the look on her two friends faces. "What?"

"Holy shit," Octavia swore with a wide grin. "Your tits look awesome in that dress."

"I can't stop staring at them," Raven agreed, tilting her head to admire them some more.

"Exactly," Clarke said, crossing her arms over her chest. "There's no way I can wear this out in public. This is totally not my style."

"That's why it's perfect!" Octavia smirked, handing Clarke a red solo cup. "Seriously though, you look hot."

"What's in this?"

"Captain Morgan. And a little coke," she added when she saw Clarke's raised eyebrow. "I have some ankle boots that would match that dress perfectly, but other than that the only thing left to do is to sit your ass down in front of that mirror so I can do your make-up."

Clarke opened her mouth to argue and just as quickly shut it at the look on Octavia's face. She looked down at her drink, contemplated it for a moment, then raised it to her lips, taking a large gulp and wincing at the familiar burn. She slowly walked over to where Octavia was eagerly waiting at the dresser and sat down. "It's your birthday, and if you want to play dress-up with me then fine. But _please_ don't do anything too flashy. I want to still look like me when you're done."

"Relax, Clarke," Octavia chided, stepping closer. "I know what I'm doing. Now close your eyes."

Clarke sighed but did as she was told. It didn't take nearly as long as she had expected it to, and about five minutes later she got the ok from Octavia to open her eyes. She did, slowly, eyes growing wide when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Octavia had kept it simple like she had asked. She had used black mascara and eyeliner to really make her blue eyes pop along with different shades of gray for eye shadow to give her a dangerous, sexy appearance that matched her dress perfectly.

She stood, giving Octavia a spontaneous hug. "Thanks, O. I love it," she said sincerely.

Octavia gave her a pleased smile. "Of course you do. Now hurry up and finish that drink we have to leave soon and we haven't even started taking shots yet."

"I'm going to get dressed then," Raven excused herself, taking her bag into the bathroom. "Don't start without me!"

"Hurry up, Reyes!" Octavia called before she shut the door, grinning as Raven flipped her off. She tossed Clarke a pair of heeled, black ankle boots and bounced down on her bed, grabbing Clarke's present and tearing it open. Clarke pulled on the shoes and stood, wobbling only slightly. She quickly sat down next to Octavia, taking another drink.

Smiling in delight, Octavia pulled out a photo album that had a picture of the two of them from high school on the front. Octavia slowly flicked through the pictures, taking her time to look at each one. She laughed, she smiled, and by the end of the album she looked over at Clarke with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're making me cry on my birthday, Griffin," she scolded, her voice thick. "Bitch."

"Jerk," Clarke grinned. She laughed, pulling the other girl close for a hug. "No tears, O, you'll ruin your beautiful make-up." They both looked down at a picture of them graduating from college. Clarke lightly ran a finger over it. "You're my best friend, Octavia. I wanted to give you something that showed how much I love and appreciate you."

"Thanks, Clarke. I love it."

"There's something else," Clarke teased, detangling herself from the other girl's arms.

Curious, Octavia looked back in the box and pulled out an envelope. She opened it and when she read what was inside her jaw dropped. "An all expenses paid weekend at a spa? Clarke are you serious, this is so expensive!"

"Don't worry about it," Clarke said, waving her hand in dismissal. "You work just as hard as I do if not harder. You deserve it."

Octavia pulled her into another happy hug. "You're the best, Clarke. Thank you so much."

At this point Raven stepped out of the bathroom, pausing as she eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Is this how your last make-out session started?"

Octavia rolled her eyes, standing up and carefully setting her present back on the bed. "Shots!" She shouted, pumping a fist in the air and leading the way into the kitchen.

Clarke and Raven shared a laugh before following her. "You look good Raven, I love that skirt." She eyed the other girls slightly exposed stomach enviously. "I'd kill for your body. How often do you work out these days?"

Raven shrugged. "Whenever I can usually. I'd kill for your boobs," She glanced down at her own sadly. "Haven't you heard? I'm president of the Itty-Bitty-Titty-Committee."

They walked in to see Octavia on her tip-toes, trying to reach the shot glasses on the upper shelf. Clarke looked at her, musing out loud. "You know if we combined all of our best assests, we'd be the perfect woman. My boobs, Raven's body, Octavia's ass."

"Hey, any guy would be lucky to have us," Raven interjected.

"Says the one of us that has already found the love of her life," Octavia rolled her eyes, filling the shot glasses that she had finally gotten down. All of them looked at the gorgeous diamond ring that adorned her left pinky finger. They were only 26, but Raven and Finn had been dating since high school, so it didn't feel like they were too young. They were basically married anyway.

"Where is Finn, anyway?" Clarke asked.

"He's meeting us there later tonight," Raven answered, unable to keep the dopey in love smile off her face.

Octavia shoved a shot in each of their faces. "Wipe that look off your face before I puke."

Raven blinked, her grin widening as she accepted the shot. "Here's to a great night," she declared, raising the glass in the air.

"To Octavia's birthday," Clarke added, raising her own.

"To all of us taking home a hot man and getting laid tonight," Octavia smirked clinking their glasses together.

As one they downed the shot, grinning at each other. Clarke could already feel the effects of the alcohol, and she laughed at how much of a lightweight she had become. She was going out with her two best friends and above all, she was _happy._ It was going to be a great fucking night.

Their cab pulled up in front of Aria and the three of them got out, slightly unsteady on their feet. Clarke's eyes widened. "Look how long that line is!"

"It's a brand new club. I've heard the line is always this long and eventually they have to start turning people away," Octavia said as they made their way over.

"Octavia!" They heard a girl shout, and looked over to see a pretty girl with blonde hair waving at them enthusiastically with one hand. Her other hand was intertwined with her boyfriend, and one of their good friends, Jasper.

"Hey guys!" Octavia greeted, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. "Glad you could make it."

"Are you kidding?" Harper exclaimed. "Not only is it your birthday but I've secretly wanted to come here since it opened!"

"Secretly?" Jasper rolled his eyes in amusement. "I've heard of nothing else for the past couple of weeks." Harper laughed, smacking his arm lightly. Jasper turned to Clarke and she watched his eyes widen slightly, dropping down to her chest before just as quickly looking up at her face. "H- Hey Clarke," he smiled, turning a little red in the face.

Clarke grinned at his awkwardness. "Hey Jasper." She watched him quickly turn away from her and talk to Octavia again. They had dated for a couple of weeks last year, but it never led to anything serious. Personally, Clarke didn't feel like Jasper was right for Octavia. She was a feisty firecracker and she needed someone who could keep up with her. Luckily, it ended peacefully and Jasper had met Harper, who often stared at him with wide, worshipful eyes. She was good for him.

"Your boobs are magical," Raven whispered in her ear. "We are going to get _so_ many free drinks tonight!" Clarke laughed, linking her arm through Ravens as Harper led the way to the door, bypassing the entire line.

Ignoring the dirty looks they were getting, Harper waved to the bouncer, giving him a giant hug. "Hi, Tony!"

"Hey, Harper, it's good to see you," He grinned, carefully hugging her back. Tony was well over 6 feet tall, a shaved head and bulging muscles. It looked like he could easily crush her. Clapping his bouncer buddy friend on the shoulder, he walked into the building, talking over his shoulder. "My girl Kristina set you guys up with a VIP table. She'll get you guys drinks and whatever else you need."

"Wow," Raven breathed as they entered the main room. The place looked incredible. The dance floor was in the middle of the room, and they could already see a bunch of people out their, writhing their bodies in time with the music, which was being played from the DJ booth at the top of the floor. There were two bars on either side of the room, and numerous booth and couches lined the dance floor. There was an elevated second level that had a velvet rope blocking each set of stairs, and Clarke knew that was the VIP section.

The room itself was dim, with different colored strobe lights flashing in all directions. Clarke could feel the bass pumping through her, but it wasn't so loud that it hurt her eardrums. The atmosphere was sexy and infectious and Clarke grinned, the alcohol in her system making her feel light and happy.

A petite brunette materialized out of nowhere, wearing a short skirt and a white tank top. She smiled at them. "Hello, my name is Kristina and I'll be taking care of you guys tonight. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your table."

They said their goodbyes to Tony and followed after Kristina as she led them to the stairs. "Tony's dating my older sister," Harper told them, yelling to be heard over the music. "She helped work out a deal for us."

"You'll have to tell her we said thank you," Octavia said as they entered through the velvet rope. "This place is seriously incredible!"

Their table ended up being a booth next to a railing that over looked the entire dance floor. "Can I get you guys anything?" Kristina asked as they slid into their seats.

"Tequila shots," Octavia announced, holding up two fingers. "Two rounds, please."

"Coming right up," Kristina smiled before walking away.

Clarke watched Octavia who was sitting across from her as she craned her neck in every direction, looking at the people sitting around them and the people dancing down on the dance floor. "What are you looking for?" Clarke asked curiously.

"I'm on the hunt," Octavia said seriously. She paused, a snort escaping her as she turned to look at Clarke. "A _man _hunt," she giggled, wagging her eyebrows. "Get it?"

Clarke laughed, but she was saved from having to answer because Kristina showed up again, placing two rounds of shots in front of each of them.

"Let's get this party started, bitches!" Octavia exclaimed, holding her shot glass in the air. With various, over enthusiastic shouts of agreement, the rest of them raised their glasses to hers before tilting their heads back and downing them.

Clarke grinned at the feel of the fiery path the tequila made going down her throat. With unspoken consent, their group picked up the next shot and downed that one as well.

She blinked in surprise as Harper hopped out of her seat, grabbing Jasper and Raven's hands. "Let's go dance!" She squealed, practically running to the dance floor. The group followed behind her, their hips and heads bouncing to the music.

They pushed their way through the crowd of dancing bodies on the dance floor, choosing a spot near the middle. Clarke swayed her hips to the rhythm of the music, watching the people in the crowd with a smile on her face.

Octavia got her attention again by grabbing her hands and pulling her closer. "Come on, Clarke! College wasn't that long ago, I know you can do better than that."

Clarke grinned, focusing on the task at hand. She let all of her senses go, the beat of the music pounding through her body, the smell of perfume and sweat permeating through the air, and the feel of the alcohol making her light and weightless. Her hands went up to run through her hair as she rolled her body in time with Octavia's, who grinned in approval.

Clarke did as she was told and let go.

They sang the songs, jumped up and down, dropped it down low and rolled their bodies to the beats. Finn showed up at one point, snaking his hands around Raven's waist from behind. She opened her mouth indignantly and turned to yell at the person behind her, but when she saw it was him she squealed and jumped into his arms. Finn said a quick hello to everyone, a happy birthday to Octavia, and then those two were in their own happy little love bubble.

Pretty soon, Clarke felt overheated and she could feel her hair sticking to her sweaty neck. She grinned, spinning in a slow circle to watch the people around her. Both Jasper and Harper and Finn and Raven were dancing close together, leaving no space between their bodies. From what she could see a lot of people were coupled up around her, grinding to the deep bass of the song. An opening cleared, leaving a path to the bar and Clarke's eyebrows raised.

A handsome man with light brown skin and a baldhead was sitting at the bar with a forgotten beer in his hand. For a moment she thought his intense brown eyes were looking at her, but it quickly became apparent that he had eyes on for Octavia. He seemed fascinated, and was completely unapologetic in the way he stared at Octavia as she danced.

Clarke smirked, her gaze casually moving past him. She gripped Octavia's hips to bring her closer, and while they both swayed their hips she put her mouth close to Octavia's ear. "When you get a chance, take a look at the hot guy sitting to the bar on the right. He won't take his eyes off you."

Octavia pulled back to give her an intrigued look. Just as casually, she shifted Clarke so that she could see the guy over Clarke's shoulder. "Helloooo," Octavia purred in approval. She gave Clarke a predatory grin, her eyes bright. "Let's go get a drink, shall we?"

Without waiting for Clarke's approval, Octavia grabbed Clarke's hand and began to saunter up to the hot guy at the bar. Clarke, who had been trying to get another good look at the guy to see how he was reacting to Octavia coming up to him, didn't see Octavia suddenly stop short and she almost ran into her. "Bellamy?" Octavia questioned in a confused voice.

Clarke had the strangest reaction. Her head whipped around so fast that she winced at the sudden strain. Her heart didn't know what to do, so it settled for leaping in her chest to quickly nose-diving in the pit of her stomach. What was he doing here? Had Octavia really invited him and not mentioned anything to Clarke about it?

Sure enough, there he was, coming towards them, the people parting ways easily before him. Clarke didn't miss the way all the girls' eyes followed him, lingering on his shoulders in a black button shirt, and his ass in a pair of well-worn jeans. He smiled, a real Bellamy Blake smile, as he saw his little sister. It quickly fell into a disapproving look when he saw what she was wearing.

"Hey O," he greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday." Clarke didn't miss the way his eyes flickered around them – she wondered if he was making note of all the guys who looked at his sister the wrong way. He always was an overprotective idiot.

"What are you doing here, Bellamy?" Octavia asked, though she gave him a pleased, happy smile.

"You mentioned you were going out tonight, and I thought I'd surprise you. I know I've been busy with work lately and I haven't been able to see you much since I've been back in California – "

He broke off as Octavia spontaneously hugged him. "Thanks, Bell. I'm so glad you're here." Clarke felt herself softening as she watched Bellamy hug his sister back with an endearing smile on his face.

Her face quickly went blank and her walls came back up as Bellamy turned his signature I'm-hot-and-I-know-it smirk on his face as he turned to her. "Hey O, who's your…" He trailed off, his eyes widening when he realized it was her. "Clarke! I didn't recognize you for a second. You look…" His eyes slowly trailed a path down her body, and Clarke had to firmly tell herself that her body did _not_ react. "Positively _ravishing._"

Frowning in her tipsy stage, she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey. Eyes up here, buddy." His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and a shiver did _not_ run down her spine and as his molten brown gaze burned through her.

Octavia was looking between the two of them, the expression on her face worried and concerned, though it didn't stay that way for long. Her eyes narrowed as she put her hands on her hips. "Alright, I know it's been like eight years, and you guys haven't even mentioned each other's names let alone been in the same room together. I don't know if there are any residual feelings here – _obviously_ there's some leftover sexual tension –" Clarke sputtered indignantly but Octavia ignored her and continued on. "but whatever it is, no fighting tonight, okay? Cause it's my birthday and I said so," she added smugly, staring them down. "Deal?"

"Deal," Clarke said, Bellamy nodding along with her.

"Great!" Octavia clapped, smiling brightly. "Let's go take some shots."

Clarke made to follow Octavia and Bellamy to the bar, but was stopped by a hand tugging her elbow. She turned as Raven leaned close to whisper in Clarke's ear. "Who was _that_? Did Octavia find a guy for you? He looks like he'd be great in bed, something about the way he walks.."

She followed Raven's gaze and found that she was looking at Bellamy with an appreciative glint in her eye. "What – him? Oh God, no. Definitely not."

"Why? What's wrong with him? Octavia claim him already?"

Clarke shook her head so hard that she stumbled a little bit in her drunken state. She clapped a hand over Raven's mouth to shut her up. "Please stop talking. That's Octavia's older brother Bellamy. And my ex." Raven's eyes widened and she tried to talk but the sound was muffled. "What?"

Raven rolled her eyes, and licked Clarke's hand, who hastily let go of her with a disgusted squeal. "I've known you for years, Clarke, when did you date him?"

"For a couple years before college."

"Was it serious?"

"Yeah, first kiss, first love, first everything," Clarke said quickly, waving an unconcerned hand. "Let's go to the bar, Octavia's ordering shots."

To Clarke's dismay, Raven kept up her questions as they walked over. "What happened between you two?"

"I'm not nearly drunk enough to explain that story," Clarke laughed humorlessly. "Let's just say it didn't end well."

Raven nodded sympathetically. "How was the break up sex?" She asked. "Break up sex is the best kind of sex." At Clarke's raised eyebrow, Raven shrugged. "You know how Finn and I are. We've broken up a couple times during the years, and we've always had break up sex."

"We never had break up sex. Why are we talking about this again?"

Raven held up her hands defensively. "I'm just saying."

Clarke shot her a look as they got to the bar, where it looked like Octavia was well on her way to getting Bellamy drunk. Finn came back from the bathroom, and they all took another round of shots, which Clarke had to wave off. She was still feeling light and fuzzy and she knew that with a couple more she'd move past pleasantly drunk and into a room tilting, vomit all over herself kind of drunk.

"Who's Octavia talking to?" Bellamy asked, sometime later, nodding over to the other side of the bar.

Clarke looked over to see Octavia talking with the hot guy from the bar that had been staring at her. Finn and Raven were nowhere to be found – when had they left?

"I don't know," Clarke shrugged.

"I don't like him," He said instantly, in a matter of fact voice.

Clarke snorted. "Big surprise. But she's 26 now, Bellamy, she's not a teenager anymore. Your opinions don't matter. Not that they did before," she added under her breath.

"Hysterical, Clarke." Bellamy's voice practically dripped with sarcasm. "I can't even breathe, I'm laughing so hard."

Clarke rolled her eyes, biting her tongue and remembering her promise to Octavia. No fighting. Octavia was with the mysterious guy, Raven and Finn were dancing and Jasper and Harper were nowhere to be found. They were all coupled off and Clarke was stuck with Bellamy. If they kept this up she was for sure going to end up fighting with him, especially in her current state.

Her eyes roamed the room, landing on a tall guy with soft brown hair who was standing with a bunch of people who she assumed were his friends. She tilted her head to the side a little, admiring his arm muscles and the way the shirt stretched across his chest. His face wasn't bad, a little too pretty for her taste, with high cheekbones and forest green eyes. He looked up at her and Clarke allowed a small smile to cross her lips.

His answering grin was immediate, confident, and just as Clarke had hoped, he began to make his way towards her.

She felt more than saw Bellamy straighten up next to her as he saw the other guy coming toward them. He flicked his eyes toward Bellamy and just as quickly dismissed him. Clarke had to admit she was a little impressed that he wasn't intimidated by the stare down Bellamy was giving him. As he came closer, she realized his green eyes matched his shirt almost perfectly.

"Hi," he smiled greeted with a flirty smile. "My name's Daniel. Want to dance?"

"Clarke," She smiled back, putting her hand in his. He raised her hand and kissed the back of it lightly, which she thought was a little corny, but she kept smiling. "I – "

"She's not interested," Bellamy drawled, leaning back against the bar.

Clarke shot him a furious glare, but he didn't even spare her a glance. How dare he speak for her? How can one person be so damn infuriating?

"Oh," Daniel said, looking between the two of them. "Are you guys together or something?"

"No," Clarke said firmly, giving Bellamy one last glare before turning back to Daniel with a pleasant smile. "We are not together. And I would love to dance," she added, moving towards him. "Shall we?"

With a triumphant smile, Daniel placed a hand on the small of her back and led her towards the dance floor. She could feel Bellamy's eyes burning a hole in her back the entire way.

* * *

**Bellamy's POV**

Bellamy didn't know what was wrong with him. He'd just had the week from hell at work, with multiple people pulling out of his next project. With multiple emergency meetings to try and work out the damage that this might cause, he had gotten little sleep this entire week. He was tired, irritated and wracked with guilt at having to cancel lunch with Octavia. Twice.

She said she understood, but he could hear the disappointment in her voice. So when he heard she was coming hear tonight with some friends, he thought he would surprise her.

He had prepared himself to see Clarke, the girl who had been plaguing his thoughts since he saw her at the charity event. But seeing her like this, with bright eyes, a flushed face and an easy smile (though he couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or the fact that she was having a good time), not to mention that fucking sexy as hell dress, had completely thrown him.

She was beautiful, alluring, and laughing in the arms of another man as they danced. He didn't know why that burned through him so fiercely. How could he possibly be jealous that it wasn't him she was happy with? How could he still want her _this much_ after eight years? After all the pain that she had caused him?

He turned to the bartender, indicating that he needed another drink. The bartender obliged, refilling his whiskey, which he downed at once.

He looked back over to where Clarke was dancing again. His eyes lingered on the hands that were running up and down her sides, lingering on her hips. Anger fizzled through him again as he clenched his teeth. He needed another drink.

* * *

**Clarke's POV**

Daniel looked down at her again with another smile, which Clarke hesitantly returned. Now that her anger and frustration with Bellamy had faded, she was starting to regret her choice of dance partner. He was good-looking enough, but his breath smelled like stale beer, he was sweating through his shirt, and it felt like he had eight hands with the way they were moving all over her body.

She debated trying to make a break for it, but when Daniel spun Clarke at a tempo that was completely wrong for this type of music, she saw Bellamy staring at them through narrowed eyes. She smirked at him, thoughts of excuses leaving her mind when she saw how much this was getting to him. Serves him right.

Clarke blinked in surprise as she felt Daniel's hand drift lower, squeezing her ass. She shifted uncomfortably, disguising a dance move as an attempt to move his hand higher. Undeterred, Daniel's hand trailed back up only head downward once more.

Raising an eyebrow at his audacity, Clarke pointedly reached behind to grab his hand and physically moved it up. He was either really dense or ignoring her hints because all he did was twist their hands so their fingers linked together, her arm now trapped behind her back.

Before Clarke could realize what was going on, Daniel's head slowly lowered to hers, his eyes drifting shut. She turned her head just in time, his lips grazing her cheek.

Who was she kidding? She wasn't this person anymore, she didn't want to randomly hook up with guys that she had just met out in a club. There was no spark, no connection with this man, and whatever attraction she had first felt had quickly faded.

Daniel pulled his head back, looking down at her with hooded eyes, his other hand cupping her chin. "Just relax," he murmured in an attempt to reassure her again as he leaned down to try and kiss her once more.

"No," she cried, a jolt of panic rushing through her as she struggled to push him away with one arm, while trying to free the other. His hand tightened on her chin as she felt his lips brush against hers, and then just as suddenly he was gone.

Clarke blinked rapidly as she rubbed her sore jaw, eyes focusing on the scene in front of her. Bellamy's hand was clenching Daniel's shirt, his face a mask of fury.

"What's your problem, man?" Daniel asked angrily, wrenching away from Bellamy, only to step closer, getting in his face. "We were just dancing."

"She said no, asshole," Bellamy growled, his brown eyes flashing as he stood his ground. "Clearly she doesn't want your disgusting tongue down her throat."

"Bellamy, don't-" Clarke began, pulling on his arm. She recognized the look on his face, remembered the anger that always simmered just under the surface. He quickly shook her off, fists clenching at his side.

"When a girl is pushing you away and turns away from your kiss it doesn't mean that you should try again," Bellamy continued, voice tight with rage.

"Clearly she wants it, look at the way that she's fucking dressed," Daniel spat, turning to glare at her. "You're a fucking tease, that's what you are."

Before Bellamy could move, Clarke moved forward slapping Daniel across the face. He looked down at her in shock. "I can dress however I want, you ignorant douche bag. Just because I'm wearing this dress does not give you the right to assume that I'd want to have sex with you let alone kiss you. The way I dress is my business."

Turning on her heel, she grabbed Bellamy's hand, pulling him through the crowd of dancing bodies. He allowed her to pull him along until they got to the end of the dance floor. He tugged on her hand so that she spun around, colliding lightly with his chest. "That was so hot," Bellamy said huskily, placing his hands on her hips.

She looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"It was always such a turn on, watching you get mad and yell at somebody else besides me," he said into her ear, explaining. "Seeing you stand up for yourself, full out righteous anger, was hot."

She hid a shiver that his words had evoked, rolling her eyes. "Almost anything used to turn you on."

"True," he conceded, tugging her closer still. "Dance with me, Clarke."

Her heart beat a strange rhythm in her chest. "Not a good idea. You had your one dance last week, Bellamy."

"Stop fighting it, Clarke. There's obviously still a physical connection between the two of us, and right now the only thing I want is to dance with you."

Under the influence of his touch, his voice, the alcohol and the music, she met his fiery brown gaze and nodded slowly.

The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smirk and she allowed herself to raise her hands from his waist, up his strong chest where she could feel his rapidly beating heart, to link behind his neck they began to move their bodies to the music.

The fire between them flared to life, and as it always did, their surroundings began to fade away as their attention focused solely on each other. The sensation of his hands running up and down her back sent tingles through her, and she enjoyed the way his hands clenched her hips whenever her body moved against his. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the sensations and the feelings that he brought to life in her body with his hands and his dancing.

She lost track of how long they danced. At some point he had turned her around so that her back was to his front, his face buried in her neck. She could feel his arousal pressed up behind her, and felt liquid heat flash through her body in response. She grinded her hips back into his and was rewarded with his breath hitching in her ear.

She couldn't think, didn't have enough working brain cells to ponder if this was a good idea or not. She could only focus on the tingly heat running through her and the presence of Bellamy behind her. He pressed a feather light kiss to her neck and she involuntarily dropped her head to the side to give him better access. His hands moved up from her waist across her stomach, his fingers brushing against her breasts through the thin material of her dress.

They both froze at the sound of her throaty moan. Instead of feeling embarrassed at how desperate and wanton she sounded, she could only think that it'd been too long since she'd felt this good. Turning her head to the side, she reached behind her to fist her hand in his hair and pulled his lips down to hers. Their lips moved in sync, and Bellamy wasted no time in prying her lips open so that he could explore her mouth further. Making an impatient sound in the back of her voice at the way she was unable to truly touch him, she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaving no space between them. Bellamy groaned as Clarke's hand threaded through his hair, tugging slightly.

Confusing emotions ran through her, and the last coherent thought that she had before she truly stopped thinking, was that she didn't want to let go.

* * *

**Octavia's POV**

Octavia stared at the scene in front of her, her eyes wide and conflicted. Clarke and her brother were making out in the middle of the dance floor, and she didn't know how it had happened.

"Hey," Raven grinned, sliding into the abandoned seat next to her. "Where's tall, dark and hunky?"

"Went to go get us drinks," Octavia answered distractedly.

"You okay?" Raven asked, frowning. She followed Octavia's gaze and her eyebrows rose so high they nearly disappeared into their hairline. "Oh. Wow. They're really going at it, huh?" Raven looked over when Octavia didn't answer and her frown deepened. "Hey, are you okay with this?"

Octavia shrugged. "I don't know. Even if I wasn't there's nothing I could do – they're both adults and can take care of themselves." She sighed and looked away. "A small part of me is happy. Those two were perfect for each other when they were dating, and it had felt like Clarke was part of the family. I honestly thought that they were going to get married. And then when they broke up… I don't even know the whole story, but I had to deal with the after effects from both of them, and it wasn't pretty."

"Like you said, they're older now," Raven suggested, trying to make her feel better. "If something happens between them again, maybe it'll be different this time around."

"Maybe," Octavia agreed, though she didn't sound convinced. "I just don't know if either of them can survive something like that happening again."

* * *

**Clarke's POV**

Her whole body was on fire. She felt light-headed, her lips were swollen, and warm tingles of pleasure kept zapping through her. Both of them needing air, they broke away, foreheads resting against each other as they panted with their eyes closed.

"Come home with me," Bellamy said suddenly.

"What?" Clarke asked in confusion, unsure if she had heard him correctly through her lust filled haze.

"Come home with me, Clarke," Bellamy answered in a deep voice, eyes opening to stare into hers.

"You're drunk," she shook her head with a shaky laugh. "You can't – "

"Maybe a little," he conceded. "But I don't have to be sober to know that I want you. I want you in my bed, coming apart underneath me. Forget about what happened eight years ago. Forget about everything except what you're feeling right now," he whispered in her ear seductively. A shudder ran through her as his lips grazed her ear. "Will you come home with me?"

Her stomach clenched, and she ached with how much she wanted him. She wanted to forget their past, forget the fact that they had both caused each other pain. In this moment, she let the excitement and anticipation wash over her and she thought about going home with him.

For the first time in a long time, she did what she wanted to do, without thinking about whether it was right or wrong. If she was going to regret this later, then so be it. Lifting her head up, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Yes. I'll go home with you."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, there's chapter two! I'm still working out the plot, so I'll update whenever I can. That being said, if there's anything that you guys would like to see in this story, don't hesitate to let me know! I love hearing your ideas and feedback.**

**As for the next chapter – would you guys like Clarke or Bellamy's point of view? Or both? I'm thinking of bumping the rating up to M in order to write the next chapter. How would you guys feel about that?**

**Review, review, review :)**


	3. No Talking

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed my story! I'm honored and flabbergasted at all the positive feedback that this story has received. **

**WARNING: As I mentioned last chapter, I'm bumping up the rating to M. To all the Bellarke fans reading this - buckle your seat belts :)**

* * *

Chapter 3: No Talking

**Bellamy's POV**

Clarke hadn't said a word, not since they'd said their goodbyes to Octavia, whose worried eyes burned into their backs the entire way to the door. Not since he'd called his driver Thomas to come pick them up and bring them back to his place.

They sat at opposite ends of the car, silent, but the tension in the air between them seem to fizz and crackle. Every so often their eyes would meet and Bellamy could swear that it only amped up the rising temperature in the car. He wanted nothing more than to reach across the car, pull her onto his lap and bury himself inside of her, but he was actually kind of enjoying the building anticipation. It would make fucking her again for the first time in eight years that much sweeter.

He felt his cock twitch at the thought and shifted slightly in his seat, subtly repositioning himself. Clarke's brilliant blue eyes flashed over to him and she smirked knowingly, her eyes flicking down to his lap before meeting his own again. Slowly, tantalizingly, Bellamy watched as Clarke's pink tongue dart out and lick her lips.

_Little minx_, he thought, eyes widening slightly.

Bellamy was just about to knock on the black tinted window to tell Thomas to step on it when they pulled into the parking garage of his apartment building, coming to a stop in front of the elevator. Bellamy got out of the car and went around to the other side to open Clarke's door for her, but Thomas had already beaten him to it.

"Thanks," Clarke said, smiling up at him. Thomas just smiled at her politely.

Bellamy looked over at Thomas as well. "Hold all my calls and messages until noon. Go home and get some rest."

"Yes sir," Thomas nodded.

Placing a hand on Clarke's back he led her to the elevator and pressed the button. He pretended not to notice the shiver that rolled down her back.

"You know, you don't have to make it so obvious about what we're going to be doing," Clarke hissed at them as Thomas drove away. "Hold my calls till noon? Really?"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist, Clarke," Bellamy drawled as the elevator doors opened. "It's only Thomas." They got inside the elevator, Bellamy taking a key out of his pocket and inserting it into the wall, clicking the floor for the penthouse suite.

"I'm not wearing any panties," he heard her say from behind him. He froze as all the blood in his body rushed south so fast he actually felt a little light headed.

Slowly, Bellamy turned to face her. "Did you just say – "

"Or a bra," Clarke told him, eyes twinkling mischievously. "I couldn't, not with this dress."

Bellamy stood there, breathing heavily as he stared at the blonde seductress before him, sent to him from the depths of his fantasies. Her tousled blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, flushed cheeks, parted lips, her perfect body in that heart attack dress….

He didn't know who moved first – all he knew was that suddenly his lips were crashing into hers and her hands were tangling in his hair. It wasn't a nice or chaste kiss. It was a kiss full of passion and lust, full of clashing teeth and hot, panting breath. He took her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked until it was on the border of pleasure and pain, making her let out a low moan.

Clarke in turn nipped his lip so hard he bled, fingernails digging into the side of his neck. She clawed at his hair, his collar, anything she could reach.

The elevator dinged and Bellamy walked her backwards into his apartment, stumbling slightly in his inebriated state. He ended up slamming Clarke against the wall, but he swallowed her gasp with his kiss, slipping his hand into her hair to hold her in place.

He felt her hands fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and finally, with a growl of frustration she ended up just ripping his shirt open, causing the buttons to fly everywhere.

His eyes flew open in shock, but she just shrugged and said, "What? It was in my way."

Bellamy didn't think he could get any harder. "Fuck," he groaned, shrugging out of his shirt and pulling her back to him. He bent to kiss her again, fingers reaching around her back to find the zipper of her dress and pulling it down, needing to see her, needing to feel her skin against his own. He peeled the dress from her body – how did she even get this thing on, it stuck to her like a second skin – until it finally fell to the floor at her feet.

He pulled back again, pausing for a moment to admire her body. She still looked like the old Clarke, just a more mature version. "Fucking beautiful," he muttered.

"No talking," she scolded, nipping at his jaw line before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down towards her. He obliged, prying her mouth open, his tongue meeting hers and then withdrawing again. At this point they were both sweating, their chests slick against each other. His skin was scorching and they both dissolved into a mass of passionate energy, the air surrounding them practically throbbing with the intensity of it.

The hand that was twisted in her hair wrenched her head back as Bellamy moved down her neck, nipping and sucking at her salty skin. Clarke whimpered in his ear, her hips bucking against his. Bellamy let out a grunt, and he picked her up, her legs snaking around his waist and hooking her ankles behind his back.

Holding her hips and pressing her into the wall, he bucked against her again, smirking at the moan that escaped her mouth. If he remembered correctly, she liked it when… he moved back up her neck and gently bit her earlobe. He was rewarded with a choked groan, music to his ears.

Clarke, still panting in his ear, fumbled desperately with the belt of Bellamy's pants, tugging it off and moving onto the button and zipper.

"Easy, Clarke," Bellamy mumbled against her lips as he caught her wrist. He was almost certain that if she touched him now he wasn't going to last long and he wanted this to last as long as humanly possible.

His lips moved over her collarbone, and he lifted her higher, closing his mouth over her breast. She shuddered against him as he swirled his tongue around her nipple, his other hand reaching down between their bodies. He flicked his thumb over her most sensitive part a couple of times, eyes flickering up to watch hers flutter shut as her mouth fell open, head falling back until it hit the wall. He slid a finger inside her, swallowing harshly at how wet she was. Her fingers pulled at his hair, her back arching off the wall as he added another finger, curling them slightly to hit that specific spot.

Her hips bucked in his hand and he felt her walls begin to flutter around his fingers. When his teeth grazed her nipple, they clenched tight, and she let go with a sharp cry. He looked up in surprise, noticing her flushed face and dazed eyes. He could remember Clarke being pretty responsive, but that was quick, even for her. "Did you just – "

"More," Clarke said hoarsely, her hands bringing his head up from her chest so she could kiss him properly. A jolt of pure need shot through him. He could feel the desperation and eagerness in her movements, in the way she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, in the way her teeth grazed down the side of his neck, in the way her hands were fumbling with the button and zipper on his pants.

When Clarke's hand closed around him, Bellamy hissed, clenching his teeth as his hips bucked into her hand. Clarke looked up from his neck, her eyes on his as she squeezed him before slowly pumping her hand up and down. "What are you waiting for?" She murmured, tilting her head to the side. "You know what you want."

"Condom," Bellamy managed to choke out, looking towards the bedroom.

Clarke shook her head impatiently. "I'm on the pill," she said hastily, her hand still teasing him. "I need you – "

Bellamy let out a sound of defeat as he surged forward to claim her lips once more, the pair of them dissolving once again into a frantic mess of wandering hands and teeth. Tightening his grip on her, Bellamy moved, heading towards the first flat surface he could find – he needed to have her now and the bedroom was just way too fucking far.

He laid her down on the island in the kitchen, pushing the small bowl of fruit so that they scattered to the floor. He stepped back, toeing off his shoes and pushing his pants and boxers to the floor, kicking them to the side. Clarke had raised herself on one elbow as she watched him undress eyes roving over him appreciatively and leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

Stepping between her legs, he used one hand to bring her mouth to his while the other snaked around her back, pulling her farther up the table so he could climb up after her. Her legs fell open on either side of him and he grabbed the back of her knee, hiking it up by his hip, positioning himself at her entrance.

He pulled back again, watching her carefully, his eyes burning and his jaw clenched as he smoothly slid into her. His eyes fluttered shut, taking in a sharp breath as Clarke choked on a moan, her fingernails digging into his sides. She was so impossibly warm and tight and he paused for a moment, appreciating the brief soothing relief.

Eventually though, the ache returned along with the burning need to move. Bellamy pulled almost all the way out before slamming back into her, once, twice, three times. After that it was animal instinct. His hips slammed into hers roughly, her legs wound around his waist, both of them gasping as she took him deeper, her hips now rising to meet him, thrust for thrust.

Her hands never stopped. They moved up his shoulders to scrape fingernails down his back, causing him to shudder at the combination of pleasure and pain. They grasped his hips urging him to move faster and harder. They wound around his neck in attempt to pull him closer, kissing him with reckless abandon in between her gasps.

He alternated between watching the look on her face, appreciating the wild look in her eyes as well as the way her breasts jiggled with the force of his thrusts, and kissing and sucking any inch of skin he could reach with his mouth.

It was like a perfect, wild dance – their movements were so in sync with each other – and it was so _fucking hot_, sweat coated their skin, drops of it rolling down their bodies. Bellamy struggled to pace himself as he hurtled toward the edge, wanting her to come before he did. His jaw was clenched with the effort, the muscles in his arms strained.

"Bellamy," she moaned as he began to feel her walls flutter around him once more. He groaned at the feeling, slowing down in order to hook an arm around her waist, dragging her up so that she was now straddling him. "Oh god," she moaned again as the new angle allowed him to thrust even deeper. Her back arched, her head falling back in ecstasy. "Harder," she commanded breathlessly. His hips jolted in surprise and pleasure at her words, and he held her up a little higher so he could ram into her from underneath.

A light flush was spreading everywhere on her body, her fingernails leaving crescent marks in his shoulders. As her walls began to clench tighter around him, Bellamy thrust one hand into her damp hair, holding her head in place so that he could see the expression on her face as she came apart. His other hand snaked between their slick bodies, his finger applying the perfect amount of pressure to her clit.

She gasped as her pleasure doubled, and Bellamy watched with fascination and wonder as she let go, her mouth open in a silent scream as her body tensed for a moment, then convulsed around him. He watched her eyes glaze over, unfocused with pleasure, and he slowed his movements to prolong it.

She came back to herself, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe and gave him a lazy, content smile. Bellamy felt shaken to the core. He had forgotten how uninhibited Clarke was when she came. She didn't make noises to sound sexy and she didn't hold back what she was feeling. Clarke enjoyed her pleasure, reveled in it, and Bellamy had forgotten how beautiful she was when she let go like that.

She blinked and Bellamy became aware of his surroundings again, aware of the agonizing need to reach his own climax. "Come on, Bellamy," Clarke whispered. "Your turn." Trying to distract himself from his thoughts, Bellamy crashed his lips to Clarke's again, his hips picking up his speed as he finally unleashed the control that he had been tenuously holding onto.

With one arm still tightly holding her around the waist, Bellamy thrust into her more forcefully, making her gasp into his mouth. Eventually he had to break the kiss as his breathing became too strained, his head falling forward onto her shoulder. He was nearing the edge of that cliff and Clarke knew it. She tightened her legs around his waist, taking him deeper and he groaned. His movements grew sloppy as his muscles tightened. White spots popped in front of his eyes as he came hard, an animalistic roar tearing from his throat as his body shuddered with the force of his release. His hips slowed as the ecstasy faded into warm contentment and with shaking limbs, they collapsed on the island, both of them struggling to breathe.

Clarke's hand was lazily running up and down his back as small shivers still racked his body.

He didn't know how long they lay there, or even if they drifted off at one point from sheer exhaustion, but eventually the sweat on their skin cooled and their breathing slowed down to a normal rate. Bellamy lifted his head from her chest, smirking down at her. She frowned at the look on his face, but when she opened her mouth to ask, he cut her off with a kiss.

This kiss was different, less frenzied then their previous kisses. He took his time with this one, gently prying her mouth open and exploring inside, his hand running lightly up and down her side, his thumb brushing against the underside of her breast. Clarke's hands were once again in Bellamy's hair, her fingernails scraping his scalp and sending pleasurable little zings down his spine.

His heartbeat quickened as she deepened his kiss, and he felt her grin against his lips as she felt the evidence of his arousal begin to grow once more against her inner thigh.

In a move that surprised him but really shouldn't have, Clarke wrapped her legs around his hips and used his distraction to flip them over. Using her hands on his chest for leverage, she straddled him, a smug smile on her lips. "I'm on top this time," she murmured, pushing herself up.

"You can do whatever you want," Bellamy assured her fervently as she reached behind her, stroking him a couple times to make sure he was ready.

She positioned himself at his tip, her mouth fall open and her eyes fluttering shut as she slowly, torturously, lowered herself down until she was taking him completely. Bellamy groaned as he was once again encased in her silky sheath. "Clarke," he moaned as she started to move. Her eyes blazed down at him, an expression of power and ecstasy on her face. This used to be her favorite position, and Bellamy had never been one to deny Clarke anything that she wanted. He watched her, enraptured, following the pace that she set as they once again lost themselves in each other.

* * *

**Clarke's POV**

Clarke woke up sometime later, wincing at the steady dull throb behind her eyelids and the taste of stale alcohol in her mouth. She blinked a couple times, turning her head to the left to see Bellamy's peaceful, sleeping face on the pillow next to her. Through the haze of passion and alcohol, she remembered that he had picked her up after their second time to bring her to the bedroom where he had taken her yet again.

He looked innocent, completely different to the intense, seductive looks that he had been giving her throughout the night. His eyelashes fanned out across his cheekbones and his hair was a mess from where her hands had run through it.

She sat up a little bit, looking around and a sudden sadness swept over her when she noticed the position they were in. Bellamy was stretched diagonally on his stomach across the bed, the sheets riding low on his hips and his arm loosely wrapped around her waist, her body shoved over to one corner. She couldn't even count the number of times she had woken up in this same position years ago, and she closed her eyes in horror and embarrassment at the wave of longing that the thought had brought her.

Her stomach roiled as her throat began to burn. She glanced at the clock – 4:09AM. Blinking rapidly, she carefully slid out of the bed making sure not to wake Bellamy up. Dear god, what had she done? Had she really risked her heart like this for a few hours of pleasure? Admittedly it was probably the best sex of her life, but Bellamy had betrayed her, handed her heart back to her in pieces all the while looking at her in cold detachment. She had been persuaded to forget all of that, to push it to the back of her mind as if it didn't matter. It had been eight years… why did it still hurt?

She tiptoed out of the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. She found one of her boots in the hallway, one in the kitchen and her dress in the foyer. The first tear fell as she slipped her dress back on, and she couldn't even explain to herself why she was crying. She was in such a hurry to get out of there that she didn't even look around or examine the beautiful penthouse suite.

Jabbing rapidly at the elevator button and cursing when it didn't arrive faster, Clarke wiped under her eyes in an attempt to fix the make-up that surely streaming down her face. Another tear fell, and another as the elevator arrived and Clarke pressed the button for the ground floor. Clarke sagged against the wall, her body still feeling weak and weightless.

When the ding sounded for her floor, she got out, moving mechanically towards the doors to the apartment building.

"Miss?" She heard a voice call from behind her. She quickly wiped the tears away before turning to smile at the little old man who was approaching her from behind the desk, a look of concern on his face. "Please miss, do you need help?"

"Oh no, thank you," Clarke said politely, reaching for her bag. "I'm just going to call – " She stopped abruptly, realizing too late that she had left her bag upstairs. And there was no way in _hell_ she was going back up there. "Actually, would you be able to call me a cab?"

The small man gave her a kind smile. "Mr. Blake insists that his driver take all his.. friends home."

Clarke flushed red, noticing the man's hesitation, feeling ashamed and disgusted that she was being lumped together with all over Bellamy's other sexual conquests. And yet… that was what she had been tonight, hadn't she? Just another woman that he had brought home to fuck.

"Please," Clarke said softly. "It's too early, I don't want to bother Thomas. I would rather just go home in a cab, but I don't – I left my money upstairs. I live over in Santa Ana, it's not too far from here – "

"Of course," the man said, taking pity on her. "Mr. Blake will take care of the cost. Just wait here, I'll go call you a cab."

"Thank you," Clarke whispered to his retreated back.

Five minutes later and Clarke was in a cab, pulling away from Bellamy's apartment building. Closing her eyes, Clarke leaned her head against the back seat, wishing for a shower. She smelled and probably looked like sex, and she wanted to wash away all the reminders of what had just happened.

She bit back a groan as she suddenly remembered the look on Octavia's face when they had told her they were leaving. It had been worried, concerned, and maybe even slightly nervous. The thought of telling her about what happened made her stomach lurch and this time she did groan as bile rose in her throat.

"Hey," the cab driver snapped, looking at her in the rearview mirror. "You're not going to puke in my cab are you?"

"No, I'm fine I – " She broke off, frowning as the cab was suddenly flooded with light. Looking out the window, her eyes widened in panic as she comprehended what she was seeing. "Look out – " Clarke screamed but it was too late.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment.

An SUV hit their side of the cab, drowning out Clarke's scream. There was a loud sound of tires squealing, metal hitting metal and the sound of glass shattering. Clarke, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was thrown across the back seat, smashing her head against the opposite window. Dazed and in pain, she felt herself being thrown around the cab as the force of the impact sent it flipping once, twice, three times before it skidded on his hood where it finally stopped.

There was an odd ringing noise in Clarke's ears when she became aware of her surroundings once more. She looked around, taking in the broken glass littering the car, the twisted metal and the fain smell of smoke. Blinking blood out of her eyes, she struggled to move and gave a hoarse cry as she did. She tried to assess her injuries, but she couldn't think clearly. Her head hurt terribly, and she couldn't seem to focus on anything for long periods of time. She could feel warm blood seeping through her scalp. Where was she?

She was lying upside down in the back seat of a car, her upper body rested on the hood. She couldn't move her wrists and it hurt to breathe, but that wasn't what worried her the most. Looking down – or up rather – she noticed a long jagged piece of glass sticking out of her upper thigh.

Gritting her teeth against the pain and the blackness creeping across her vision, Clarke could tell it wasn't bleeding too badly now, but it could very well have hit her femoral artery and if she pulled it out she would bleed out within seconds.

If she was in the back seat then where was the driver?

"Hello?" Clarke croaked, turning slightly in order to look in the front seat. "Are you – " she took in a ragged breath, fighting the urge to pass out. "Are you okay?"

She caught a glimpse of the driver and swallowed harshly, her eyes falling shut. He was hanging from the seat belt, blood dripping from his mouth and his wide eyes staring unseeingly in front of him. He was dead.

The pain in her body flared to life and then seemed to slowly recede, and Clarke felt a delayed sense of panic. Her eyes felt so tired, and she couldn't move an inch. The darkness began to creep in again and Clarke felt a momentary stab of sorrow, wishing she could talk to her friends and family one more time.

Slowly, reluctantly, knowing that she was dying - Clarke's eyes shut, passing out as the darkness finally claimed her.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ahhh, don't hate me! This idea came to me a couple weeks ago, and I've just decided to run with it. **

**Since it's taken me so long to update both my The 100 stories, I haven't started watching the new season yet as punishment until both chapters are up. Therefore, I would really like to read what you guys think of this chapter as a way to distract myself from work and school!**

**Did you love it? Hate it? Want to see more like it? Whatever the case, be sure to leave a review and let me know! :)**


	4. Downhill

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reviewing/favoriting/following my story! All your comments on the last chapter were amazing and they mean so much to me!**

**Hope you guys like this one : )**

* * *

Chapter 4: Downhill

Bellamy rolled over, burying his head deeper into the pillow, unwilling to wake up from the best sleep he'd had in weeks. His head was pounding slightly, but other then that and the dry, cottony feel in his mouth his hangover didn't seem too bad. His body felt pleasantly heavy and content as he lay there, and he stretched out a hand toward the other side of the bed, searching for Clarke and wondering if she'd be up for some morning sex.

And if she wasn't…. a grin formed on his face as he thought of what he could do to persuade her.

When his searching hand felt nothing but sheets and more pillows he frowned and sat up, looking over. The other side of the bed was empty. Where could she be? Maybe she was making breakfast? Bellamy slipped out of bed and into a pair of sweatpants as he padded through the apartment to look. He thought it unlikely since Clarke never used to be able to cook anything but pasta when they were dating.

Sure enough, when he went to the kitchen he found nothing but the scattered fruit still on the floor. As a matter of fact, he couldn't find any evidence that she'd been there at all. Her dress was gone as well as her shoes, and besides the faint smell of sex mingled with her perfume, he could have imagined that the whole thing had been a dream.

"Son of a bitch!" He shouted to the angry apartment, suddenly furious. Who did she think she was? Did she really think that she could use him for the night and then sneak out like it had never happened? Women didn't sneak out after a night with Bellamy Blake – it just didn't happen.

Something black and gold caught his eye and he ducked under one of the kitchen chairs to retrieve what he recognized as Clarke's bag. She must have forgotten it in her haste to escape. He opened it, ignoring her phone and examining her ID. Clarke's smiling face stared up at him and for a moment he imagined it was taunting him. His eyes slid over to the address and he recognized the street as the one that Octavia lived on.

Making up his mind, he hurried back into his bedroom where he took a quick shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was going to return Clarke's things to her, along with a piece of his mind. After glancing at the clock and seeing that it was only 8, he grabbed the keys to his BMW and his phone and headed towards the elevator.

He rode it down, fingers tapping impatiently against his leg, when it seemed to take longer than usual.

"Good morning, Mr. Blake," Jones, the weekend receptionist smiled at him "Shall I call you – "

"There was a blonde in a black dress that came down a couple of hours ago," Bellamy interrupted in a no-nonsense town. "Did you see her?"

"Yes sir," Jones said, his smile fading. "She came down here around 4AM and asked me to call her a cab. She seemed pretty upset, the poor thing."

_Upset? What could Clarke possibly have to be upset about?_ Bellamy thought, bewildered. "A cab?" He repeated sharply. "I told you to call Thomas and have him drive them home, it's not safe – "

"I tried sir, but she refused," Jones said, looking anxious. "She insisted on taking a cab."

Bellamy forced himself to take a deep breath. "That's alright Jones, she can be a bit hard-headed once she's set on something. Call me if she comes back, will you?"

"Of course sir."

Bellamy exited the building, heading for the parking garage and hopping in his car, plugging in Clarke's address into the navigation system on the dashboard. He had only been driving for a few minutes when the car's phone rang, interrupting the music he was listening to.

"Hello?" He answered, thinking it might be Octavia who would know where Clarke was.

"Bellamy, where are you?" Murphy's exasperated and slightly annoyed voice came through on the car's speakers. "We have that conference call with Japan in an hour – "

Bellamy swore under his breath. "Shit, man, I'm sorry, I completely forgot. We're going to have to reschedule. Tell them I have to take care of some personal matters."

"Personal matters?" Murphy repeated in disbelief. "What could be more important than expanding our hotel line out of the country?"

"Nothing, I just have to go meet up with Clarke – " As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished he could take them back. His hands automatically tightened on the steering wheel, his lips thin in agitation. Murphy had been his best friend since high school, and he trusted him with a lot. But ever since that incident that happened eight years ago, he hadn't mentioned Clarke's name to his friend again. He may have forgiven the whole situation but that doesn't mean that he had forgotten.

There was a long, tense moment of silence in the car. "Clarke?" Murphy asked slowly. "As in the Clarke Griffin who was the love of your life until she ripped up your heart, tore it to piece, put it through the shredder and then handed it back to you? The one who caused you to decide to be a permanent bachelor?"

"Yes," Bellamy said shortly, not willing to elaborate too much on what happened last night. "She works with Octavia."

"I don't know if this is a good idea, man. She's bad news."

Irritation ran through him. "I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Reschedule the meeting with Japan for Monday. I'll talk to you later."

He hung up before Murphy could try and convince him otherwise. Agitation at this whole situation running through him, Bellamy stabbed the button to turn the radio on, turning up the volume as his foot pressed harder on the gas.

He cut the forty-minute drive down to twenty and pulled smoothly into the parking lot. After another glance at Clarke's ID, he pressed the elevator button for the fifth floor and got on. He wanted to know why Clarke had been upset when she left this morning, but more importantly he wanted to know why she had fled from his apartment in the first place. Why she had fled from him.

He made a left out of the apartment, counting up the numbers in his head until he reached Clarke's door. Making a fist, he rapped sharply three times and stepped back. He waited a few moments, frowning when she didn't answer the door, and knocked again.

Gritting in his teeth in frustration, he pounded on the door when she still didn't answer. He had a vivid picture of her standing behind the door, knowing that it was him and refusing to open it. "I know you're in there Clarke," he shouted through the door. "Open the damn door!" A fuming, oppressive silence. "Fine! If that's the way you want to play this, then fine!"

Stalking back down the hallway, Bellamy jabbed the elevator down button and headed towards Octavia's apartment. She better have a key to Clarke's place or he was going to bust the door down himself, regardless of Clarke's wishes.

Taking a deep breath, he tried and failed to reign in his temper. He did manage to knock on the door like a normal person without pounding on it like he wanted to.

The door swung open and Octavia was standing there. "Do you have a key to Clarke's apartment?" He asked, striding past her without an initiation.

If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed how the smile that was on Octavia's face slipped off at the sight of him, her eyes widening in panic. He would have noticed the long-sleeve men's button down shirt she was wearing and the messy, tangled sex hair she was currently sporting. But he was so caught up in his anger at Clarke, that he noticed none of these things.

"Hello to you too," Octavia said in a sarcastic tone, her voice slightly higher than usual. "What are you doing here, Bellamy, it's eight in the freaking morning."

"I need a key to Clarke's apartment," he said again.

Worry crept over Octavia's face. "Why?" She demanded. "Last I saw you two you were leaving Aria last night together, what could have happened – "

"We went back to my place and spent the next few hours – "

"Stop!" Octavia said loudly, screwing up her eyes and putting her hands over her ears. "I don't want to know any of that. Skip to the end. What did you do?"

Bellamy rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything that she didn't want me to do." Ignoring Octavia's disgusted wince, he plowed on. "I fell asleep and when I woke up a few hours later, she was already gone, took a cab early this morning at 4AM. I tried to knock on her door, but – "

"Octavia?" A male's voice inquired. "Is everything okay?"

Bellamy froze, his eyes still on Octavia, who had clapped a hand to her forehead, muttering, "worst timing ever," under her breath.

Whirling around, he turned to see a man standing in the doorway to Octavia's bedroom, his chest bare and holding Octavia's sheets around his waist. For a few moments the men stared at each other, Bellamy's mind blank until it finally registered that Octavia had brought home this man from the club last night and that he had just had sex with his baby sister.

"Who the fuck are you?" Bellamy snarled, taking a few steps forward.

"Okay!" Octavia said loudly, darting forward and putting a hand on Bellamy's chest, pushing him back with narrowed, angry eyes. "That's enough."

"You don't even know the man, Octavia, for all you know – "

"It's too little too late to play the protective older brother, Bellamy," Octavia snapped. "You can't just come back into my life eight years later and expect to have a choice in who I'm seeing." The silence was deafening.

"I'll wait in the other room," the man murmured to Octavia, and stepped back inside.

Guilt ripped through Bellamy, his eyes tortured as his gaze switched to her. "O, I'm sorry – "

"Don't be," Octavia said, taking a deep breath. "I didn't mean to bring that up. Yeah, it sucks that our relationship changed, but I know you were dealing with some shit."

"That's no excuse," Bellamy said, shaking his head. "I'll regret pushing you away for as long as I live." He pulled Octavia into a hug, feeling relieved when she returned it. "I really am sorry."

"I know," she said, her voice muffled into his chest. "Let me just get changed quick and then I'll help you talk to Clarke."

He nodded, clenching his jaw against the urge to punch something at the thought of the man in her bedroom. He knew that she wasn't a little girl anymore, but he couldn't seem to get the image of little Octavia with pig-tails and missing front teeth out of his head. Besides, she was right. For the past eight years, their relationship had been lots of phone calls with the occasional visit. After his break-up with Clarke, he buried himself in his work, putting most of himself into starting up his company. If he looked deep inside himself he would admit that he had fled from his problems, and that talking to Octavia reminded him of Clarke and gave him a heartbreaking pain.

When Octavia re-emerged from her bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her, he was relieved to see that she had changed into a tank top and sweatpants, her messy hair thrown up into a pony-tail.

"She gave me this key in case of emergencies, you know," Octavia told him as they rode up in the elevator. "She's going to kill me when she sees I snuck you into the apartment."

"I'll handle it," Bellamy said, unconcernedly.

"Clarke in a temper is not really something you handle," Octavia said, amusement in her voice. Taking a preparatory breath, Octavia fished a key out of her pocket and inserted it into the door. "Clarke?" She called out cautiously, looking around. "Clarke it's Octavia. I know you're probably mad at Bellamy, and probably for a good reason too," she said as she went from room to room, ignoring Bellamy's scowl. "But you two really need to work out your shit, and running and hiding isn't the way to do that."

Bellamy took in Octavia's frown as she came out of Clarke's bedroom. "She's not here. And the bed hasn't been slept in."

"Where else would she go?"

Octavia shrugged. "I don't know. When Clarke's upset she just needs time to cool off. Give her some space and when I see her I'll make sure she calls you, okay?"

Bellamy held up Clarke's bag. "She left all her money, her ID, and her phone at my place. She's wandering around LA with nothing on her, Octavia."

A flicker of concern flashed across Octavia's face. "I'm sure she's fine, Bellamy. Give her a couple of hours and if she still doesn't turn up….then – then we'll look for her."

"Fine," Bellamy conceded. "I'm heading into work, call me if you see or hear from her."

* * *

**Octavia's POV**

Octavia watched her brother walk out of Clarke's apartment, her unconcerned expression fading away and worry taking its place. If Bellamy knew what was going through her mind, he would overreact and throw a fit – she wasn't going to tell him anything until she was certain something was wrong. She headed back into Clarke's bedroom once Bellamy was gone and rifled through Clarke's closet and drawers, tearing the place apart and growing more and more anxious.

Sitting back on her heels, Octavia reluctantly came to the conclusion that the dress and shoes that Clarke had been wearing last night weren't here. She had been hoping that Clarke had left Bellamy's and had come back here to change and then maybe take a reflective walk or something. But she couldn't see Clarke wandering the streets in that dress and shoes. Too 'walk of shame' for Clarke.

Conceding defeat, Octavia locked up Clarke's apartment and headed back downstairs to her own. She moved slowly towards her bedroom, preoccupied with her thoughts. Where could Clarke have gone? How did she pay for that cab that she took?

"Octavia?" A male's voice asked her questioningly. Startled, Octavia looked up to see Lincoln still in her bed, leaning up on an elbow and giving her a worried look. "Is everything okay?"

She sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Yes. No. I don't know. My brother and Clarke spent the night together and she snuck out when he fell asleep. Which would be fine, but she hasn't been back to her apartment, and she left her money, phone and ID at Bellamy's place."

"Does she have anywhere that she likes to go when she's upset?" Lincoln asked quietly. "Whenever I'm mad I usually go to the gym, it helps me think."

Smiling slightly, Octavia looked over her shoulder and lightly poked his eight-pack abs that was showing above the sheets. "You must be mad a lot." He grinned at her, snatching up her poking finger and bringing it up to his lips so he could kiss it. Cursing her body as her stupid heart picked up in speed in reaction to the simple gesture, Octavia looked away. "When Clarke's mad or has a lot on her mind she…" Her eyes lit up and she dove across the bed for her phone on the nightstand. "She works! Maybe she headed straight for the hospital and changed into an extra pair of scrubs there! I think my friend Jasper's working today!"

She quickly dialed his number, waiting impatiently as the phone rang. "Hello?" Came Jasper's groggy voice.

"Hey Jasper, it's Octavia."

"H- hey Octavia," Jasper greeted through a yawn. "What are you doing up so early? You should be sleeping like the dead after the way you drank last night – "

"No, I feel fine," Octavia said, cutting him off. "Listen are you at the hospital? Is Clarke there?"

"Yeah I just got here a couple minutes ago." Another yawn. "I thought Clarke had off today?"

"So you haven't seen her?" Octavia asked, her heart sinking.

"No, I haven't. Not yet anyway."

"Alright. Listen if she comes in call me, okay?"

"Sure," Jasper agreed, worry beginning to creep into his voice. "Is everything okay, Octavia?"

"I hope so," she said fervently. "Thanks Jasper, I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone, disappointment washes over her as the little bubble of hope that had been welling up inside her popped and disappeared. "Maybe Raven's heard from her," Octavia mused out loud. She quickly dialed her friend's number. It rang several times.

"Octavia Blake, you better have a good fucking reason to be calling so early in the goddamn morning-"

"Have you heard from Clarke?" Octavia asked, interrupting Raven's angry rant.

There was a pause as she heard Raven get off the bed and go into a separate room, the door closing behind her. "Sorry, Finn's still asleep. No, I haven't heard from her. Why, what happened?"

Octavia pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache coming on. "Clarke went home with Bellamy last night and apparently snuck out at like 4 AM when he feel asleep."

Raven gave a low whistle. "I bet he loved that."

"Yeah he wasn't happy. But anyway, when he woke up she was gone, and he was pissed. He came over to her place looking for her, but she wasn't there, her bed hasn't been slept in and the dress from last night was missing too."

She could practically feel Raven frowning. "So where do you think she is?"

"I don't know." Octavia could hear the desperation in her voice. "She left her bag at Bellamy's so she has no money, no phone and no ID on her. I called Jasper and she's not at work, and I can't think of anywhere else she would go especially in that dress. What if something happened to her, Raven? Should we report her missing?"

"We can't report her missing until it's been 24 hours," Raven said automatically, making Octavia roll her eyes. Finn was a detective and Raven was constantly spouting police tips she learned from him.

"Then what do you suggest Reyes?" Octavia snapped.

"I suggest you relax," Raven shot back. "I know you're worried, but we don't even know if something bad happened to her."

"I've got a bad feeling, Raven," Octavia confessed, putting a hand on her stomach. "It's like a pit of fiery dread in my stomach that won't go away."

"I know, I'm worried too. But working ourselves up into a hysterical mess isn't going to help us find Clarke." She paused and Octavia knew she was thinking. "Kick out the boy-toy that's in your bed and get dressed. I'll be over in fifteen."

Before Octavia could answer, Raven had hung up. Typical.

She sighed and turned to Lincoln. "Listen, Lincoln, I had a really amazing time last night…"

"But?" Lincoln prodded, giving her a gentle, knowing smile.

"But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. There's this thing with one of my best friends and I really need to find her."

"I could help you look," he offered, sitting up.

"That's nice of you, but I just met you last night and this is kind of a big thing."

"I understand," Lincoln said graciously. He took her phone and was silent for a few moments as he typed on it. "This is my number. Call me if you want to get together again."

"Thanks," she smiled, as he slipped out bed and put his clothes from last night back on. She allowed herself a moment to admire his strong muscles, intriguing tattoos and firm backside. Mmmm.

She walked him to the door once he was dressed. She opened her mouth to say goodbye, but he cut her off by placing a hand on the back of her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. Octavia could tell that he was restraining himself, because she could feel the tension in his body. She couldn't help herself when she twined her arms around his neck to pull him in closer, momentarily forgetting about the fact that Clarke was missing.

Lincoln finally pulled away, giving her one last peck before looking down at her with darkened eyes and a grin. "You're one special girl, Octavia Blake," he whispered, his smile widening when she flushed. "Good luck finding your friend."

Octavia stared at the closed front door after he left, unsure what to think. She had had the hottest sex of her life last night, but she definitely hadn't expected to like Lincoln as much as she did. Belatedly, she realized her phone was ringing and dashed back to her room to answer it.

"Hello?" She answered breathlessly.

"Hey, it's me," Raven said. "Change of plans. I woke Finn up to let him know what was going on, and it turns out you don't need to wait 24 hours to file a missing persons report. So I'm going to go with him to fill one out since I know more about Clarke then he does."

"Okay, should I go with you?"

"Nah, I got this. Why don't you drive around, go to any of Clarke's usual spots and see if you can find her."

"Okay. I'll call you if I find her."

With that, Octavia stuffed her phone in her pocket and grabbed her keys, praying with all her might that she'd be able to find Clarke and that she'd be okay.

* * *

**Bellamy's POV**

Bellamy fumed as he drove away from Octavia's apartment building, shocked at the lengths Clarke would go to in order to avoid him. She had changed in the eight years they had been apart. When they had been dating, if Bellamy had done something to piss her off or upset her, Clarke had no problem getting in his face and telling him how wrong he was.

So what had he done this time to cause her to flee like this?

The phone car rang and he stabbed the answer button. "Bellamy Blake," he barked out.

"Mr. Blake it's Thomas. I talked with Jones and found out what was going on. I think I have some information that might interest you."

"About Clarke?" Bellamy asked, his interest piqued. "What've you got?"

"When I drove over from my home this morning I had to go a different way. There was an accident and they had to close the road down. There were police cars everywhere. I didn't stop to find out what was going on because I didn't think anything of it at the time, but … there was a taxi involved. It was flipped over, lying on its hood and it – it didn't look good."

Bellamy's heart picked up speed as heaviness settled in his chest. "Where?" He bit out in a growl.

"Sir, I'm not sure it's such a good idea – "

"Where, Thomas?" He repeated, his voice cold and firm.

"Main Street," Thomas told him.

Bellamy ended the call without even realizing it, screeching his car around in a U-turn and speeding away towards Main Street. It wasn't the way he had used to get to Clarke's because of all the lights, but it was definitely one of the ways to get there, especially for a taxi who would take the longer way in order to get more money.

For some unexplainable reason, the moment Thomas had mentioned the accident with the taxi on Main Street, a bad feeling lurked around the edges of his thoughts. It was like a dark cloud was hovering about him, ready to start a storm at any moment.

Main Street was indeed closed as Thomas had said. Bellamy swiftly pulled over to park, probably illegally, but he didn't care. He got out and headed toward the flashing lights, his eyes sweeping the scene in front of him, horror washing over him.

Numerous police cars lined the street, along with a fire truck. The police officers roamed the scene inside of the blockade that they had set up. People were milling around the outside, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Bellamy couldn't believe his eyes as he stopped behind the blockade. A black Chevy Suburban was closest to him the front end of the car completely crushed. What really stole Bellamy's attention was the taxi, though the only reason he knew it was a taxi was because it was yellow and Thomas had warned him earlier.

No part of the car was left undamaged. It was a fairly large scene and from the debris it looked like the car flipped several times until it came to rest on the hood. All the windows in the taxi had shattered and was littered all over the road. The left side of the taxi was crushed inwardly which is where Bellamy assumed the SUV hit it.

Bile rose in Bellamy's throat. He didn't understand how anyone could survive an accident like this.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" A voice said quietly from his right.

Feeling dazed, Bellamy looked over to see an old man in his 60's standing there, looking at the scene with a sorrowful expression. He pointed to an apartment building across the street. "I was sleeping in my apartment when I heard it happen. I looked out the window and called 911 right away."

"What time was that at?"

"About 4:30 this morning," the man said, thinking back.

"Do you know what happened? Or who was in the car?" Bellamy asked, giving his full attention to the man.

The man sighed, his voice heavy. "From what I've overheard, the man driving the SUV was drunk, well past the legal limit. He blew the red light and smashed into the left side of the taxi causing it to flip over at least three times before it stopped on its hood. The driver of the SUV is okay of course," the man said, his voice bitter. "Just a broken collarbone and a few scrapes and bruises."

"And the people in the taxi?" Bellamy prodded, his expression guarded and anxious.

The man shook his head. "The driver didn't make it. I saw them put a white sheet over the body so that we couldn't see it. But there was another occupant, a young woman. They couldn't get the taxi doors open, and it took them about 45 minutes to cut open the car. See the hole on the right side? There was a lot of medical people surrounding her body to determine her injuries, then there was a lot of shouting and movement. It took them a while to carefully get the girl out because she was unconscious but they put her on a stretcher and sped away in an ambulance." He shook his head. "She didn't look too good, not at all. Blood everywhere."

"And the girl?" Bellamy croaked, not recognizing the sound of his own voice. "What color hair did she have?"

The man frowned at the odd question, but Bellamy waited, holding his breath as he waited for the answer. "The girl? She was blonde – "

The man kept on talking but Bellamy wasn't listening. His heart had clenched painfully, his eyes fluttering shut.

Clarke. They young woman who had been in the back of the taxi had been Clarke, he just knew it. _'She didn't look too good, not at all. Blood everywhere.'_ The man's words bounced around the inside of Bellamy's head, bringing with it a sharp pain.

Clarke was dying. She might already be dead.

Bellamy swayed slightly, suddenly dizzy and reached out, grabbing onto the man's shoulder in order to support himself. His breath was coming in short, quick gasps and he couldn't seem to get enough oxygen into his body.

"Hey man, you okay?" The older man asked him in concern, peering up into his face. "You're really pale, you don't look so good."

"Fine," Bellamy bit out, realizing that his other hand was pressed over his heart, which still felt heavy in his chest. "What hospital did they take the girl to?"

"The California Hospital Medical Center - Hey! Where are you doing?" The man called after him.

Bellamy ignored him, sprinting back to his car, his heart in his throat again. He dialed Octavia's number on the way, turning the car on as the phone rang, performing yet another U-turn as he sped towards the hospital.

"Hey Bellamy," Octavia answered. "I know I told you to go to work, but I've decided to drive around and look for Clarke. I haven't found her yet but – "

"I found her, Octavia. At least I think I did."

"Oh thank god," Octavia answered, the relief evident in her voice. "Where was she? Actually put her on the phone, I need to tell her that I'm going to kick her ass for making me worry like this – "

"She's been in an accident," Bellamy interrupted, cursing as he swerved around the slow driver in front of him.

"An accident?" Octavia repeated, her voice confused.

"There was an accident with a taxi and the man said that the woman in the back seat had blonde hair – "

"A man? What man? Bellamy you're not making any sense! Start at the beginning and tell me everything."

And so he did, struggling to keep his voice calm and even. She didn't interrupt the entire time he spoke, but he did hear her gasp when he told her what the man had said about the blonde woman. "It's her, Octavia, it has to be. The accident happened around the time that she left my apartment, she was in a taxi and it was on the way to her place! It's why we haven't heard from her or seen her."

"Where are you right now?" Octavia asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'm on my way to California Hospital Medical Center to see if it's her."

"I'll meet you there. Don't do anything stupid, Bellamy," she warned.

Bellamy growled at his phone in frustration as she hung up on him. Don't do anything stupid? What did she think he was going to do?

Cursing under his breath at all the old people that seemed to be on the road today, Bellamy weaved around the cars as quick as he could, a small part of him that wasn't worried about Clarke, surprised that he hadn't been pulled over yet.

Considering it a small miracle that he didn't get into an accident of his own, Bellamy quickly pulled into the hospital's parking lot and got out, hurrying through the main doors and heading towards the receptionist at the desk. "I'm looking for Clarke Griffin," he said, trying and failing not to sound rude and impatient.

"Sure, one moment please," the woman said, typing away on the computer. Bellamy looked around, restraining himself from tapping his fingers on the counter.

"I'm sorry sir, we have no record of that name in our hospital."

Bellamy ran an agitated hand through his hair, unknowingly making it stand on end. "She didn't have her ID on her in the accident," he explained. "She's about 5'5" has wavy blonde hair, blue eyes and a small freckle above her upper lip on the left side. She was brought in from a car accident between 5 and 6AM. Look." He quickly pulled out his phone, typing on it and bringing up Clarke's Facebook. He brought up her profile picture and faltered for a moment when he saw a picture of her smiling up at him. Clearing his throat, he passed over the phone to the woman. "This is her. This is Clarke Griffin."

"I don't recognize her," the woman told him, her tone apologetic. Looking up, she caught sight of whatever emotion was on his face. Her own face softened. "If you don't mind me borrowing your phone, I'll show the picture around in the ER and see if anyone recognizes her."

"I don't mind," Bellamy said quickly. She nodded and began to walk away. "Thank you," he whispered after her.

* * *

**Octavia's POV**

Octavia ran into the hospital, spotting her brother right away, pacing the length of the receptionist's desk. "Bellamy!" She called, running into his waiting arms as he turned to face her. She closed her eyes, trying to take comfort in her older brother's arms. It didn't work, she could _feel_ that something was off with him.

She pulled back, peering worriedly up at his face. He smiled down at her, but she could tell that it was only for her benefit. The tension in his body was obvious in the way his shoulders were set. The grin did nothing to erase the worry lines between his eyebrows or the fear in his eyes. "Hey, O."

"Did you find her? Is she here?" Octavia asked breathlessly.

"I don't know," Bellamy sighed. "They didn't have any record of Clarke Griffin, so I pulled up a picture of her and the receptionist is showing it around to see if anybody recognizes her."

"So now what? We just wait?" Octavia asked incredulously.

Bellamy gave a humorless smile. "You work in a hospital, Octavia, shouldn't you know the procedure?"

Looking annoyed, Octavia crossed her arms. "I've never been on the other side of it before." There was a moment of silence between them in which the worry, anxiety and fear for Clarke crept back in. It ate at her insides, twisting her stomach painfully until she felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin with the need to do something. She looked up at Bellamy with wide eyes. "She's going to be okay, right Bellamy?"

"I don't know, Octavia," he said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders. "I hope so."

A half an hour later, Octavia was sitting in the waiting room, her head in her hands while Bellamy continued to pace back and forth. The doors to the waiting room opened and the receptionist entered along with a doctor in full scrubs, complete with a lowered face mask and cloth hat. The receptionist looked around and spotted Bellamy, heading toward him. Octavia hurriedly got up to join them.

"Here's your phone," the receptionist said to Bellamy, giving him a sympathetic smile. "This is Dr. Marks, he'll be able to tell you what happened to your friend."

She walked away, but Octavia had already forgotten about her. "So Clarke's here?" She asked, small relief working its way through her.

"Yes, a young woman matching your friends' description came in this morning around 5:40AM. We don't know everything yet, but I can tell you what I do know. Your friend was unconscious and in critical condition when she got here. We assessed the most pressing injuries first – she had a large piece of glass piercing her thigh, close to her femoral artery. After we extracted the glass, your friend underwent a series of tests and we found that she had what we call an intraparenchymal hemorrhage."

Octavia swore sharply under her breath, putting a hand to her stomach as it gave a sickening, terrifying lurch.

Bellamy shot her a quick glance before rounding on the doctor. "Intraparenchymal hemorrhage? What's that?"

"It's when blood pools in the brain tissue because of trauma to the head," Octavia spouted automatically, her eyes staring unfocused in front of her. "The force of an impact on one side of the brain can cause the brain to bounce around within the skull. It causes a build up of pressure on the brain and can cause blood clots. If left untreated for too long it can lead to - it can lead to…" A tear slipped down Octavia's face.

A tiny bit of sympathy shown in the doctor's eyes, but he nodded anyway, keeping his professional manner. "It can lead to death, yes."

"So what's the next step?" Bellamy demanded, a muscle flexing in his jaw. "What are you doing to help her?"

"She just went into surgery. The doctor is performing a craniotomy, where he will remove part of the skull to access the brain underneath. This will relieve pressure in the brain and allow the doctor to see how bad the bleed is in the brain tissue."

"That's it? She'll be better after that?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you and say that she'll be fine. Your friend came to us in a critical condition and I want you to know all the facts. There is a chance of complications with the surgery. Intraparenchymal hemorrhages are severe and need to be treated immediately. We caught it pretty quickly, but even still, there's a 50-50 survival rate."

Octavia swayed on her feet at this announcement, not even realizing at first that Bellamy had stepped forward menacingly, grabbing the front of the doctor's shirt and getting in his face. "You better make sure she doesn't die," he snapped coldly. "Or so help me god, I will come after you with everything I've got – "

"Bellamy!" Octavia cried, trying to pull him away. "Bellamy, stop! This isn't helping!"

The doctor's eyes had widened in alarm, but Octavia was surprised at how calm he still seemed. If her brother looked at her like that she'd be more than a little afraid. "Sir, we are doing everything we can to help your friend. I would like to be able to give you updates as her surgery proceeds, but if you don't get yourself under control, I'm going to have to call security and you will be escorted out of the building." He paused, letting his words sink in. "What's it going to be?"

Bellamy's knuckles were white against the doctor's blue scrubs. With what looked like a monumental effort, he slowly pried his fingers away and took a step back, jaw clenched.

Octavia, still holding tight to Bellamy's arm, turned back to the doctor who was smoothing his shirt out. "When will Clarke be out of surgery?"

"We're not sure. Her condition is very unstable and until the doctors can see how much damage there is we won't know for certain. In the meantime, you can talk to Janet, our receptionist, and fill out some paperwork about Ms. Griffin. We'll need to contact her family and let them know what's happened." He gave them a kind smile, looking from Octavia, who looked anxious and fearful, to Bellamy, who had his fists clenched at his sides in a stony silence. "I need to get back in there. I'll update you again as soon as I can."

Octavia watched him walk away with wide eyes, unable to believe what was happening. Clarke, her best friend of over ten years, was dying, alone on a surgical table with her skull being cut open. How could this have happened? One night they were dancing, celebrating her birthday with not a care in the world and now…

Swallowing hard, Octavia turned to Bellamy. "I'm going to fill out – " She was speaking to nobody. Looking around, saw him stalking off to the men's bathroom. To be honest she was slightly taken aback at his temper and how shaken he seemed. It had been eight years since him and Clarke had been together and she hadn't expected such a strong reaction. What had happened last night?

Biting back a sigh, Octavia turned and headed for the receptionists desk, scrolling through her phone as she went. She paused for a moment when she came to Lincoln's name, and her finger hovered over the call button. Shocked by the strong urge to call him and tell him the tumultuous emotions storming through her, Octavia shook her head, clicking on Raven's name instead.

She had never been one for religion but after Octavia got off the phone with Raven, she was going to spend the next couple hours praying for her best friends life.

* * *

**Bellamy's POV**

Bellamy gripped the edges of the sink, his shoulders hunched and his head bent, hair falling forward into his eyes. He could feel himself losing control and he didn't know why. Clarke was old news. He hadn't seen or heard from her since he was 20 years old, practically a child. He had sex with her last night as a blast from the past and it had been great, but that's all it was.

They might not be dating anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted her dead. A world without Clarke… was a world off-balance. Wrong.

Unbidden and unwanted, a memory sprang up in Bellamy's mind, playing through like a movie.

"_Bellamy!" Clarke hissed as she pulled on the hand that was tugging her along. "Bellamy, what are we doing here?"_

"_You'll see," Bellamy assured her in a whisper. "Now keep your voice down, will you?"_

_She jogged a little to catch up. "You do realize that we're at the high school right? It's bad enough that we have to come here during the day, what are we doing here at 10 o'clock at night?"_

_He sent her an amused look over his shoulder. "I'd tell you to stop talking but I think it's literally impossible for you. I'm not telling you anything until we get there."_

_Clarke huffed and fell silent, as if determined to show him that she could be quiet if she wanted to. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his grin widening when he saw her adorable pout. Lacing his fingers through hers, he squeezed her hand, causing her to look up at him. Her pout melted away, a reluctant grin playing at the corner of her lips, her brilliant blue eyes twinkling._

_He never fully understood the saying, but when Clarke smiled up at him like that his heart skipped a couple beats. Not that he would admit that to anyone out loud. Ever. The guys on his soccer team would never let him live that down._

"_This way," he whispered, tugging her along the path to the side door of the school. They reached the door, which had a padlock on it. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he pulled out a set of keys from his back pocket. _

_Clarke gasped and Bellamy knew her two minutes of silence were over. "Bellamy Blake!" She hissed, her eyes on the keys. "Where did you get those?"_

"_The janitor lent them to me," he said with wide, innocent eyes. She raised her eyebrows at him pointedly and he grinned, turning to the door. "Alright, I may have borrowed them. Without permission."_

"_If you get caught – "_

"_Don't worry, Princess," he said triumphantly as the lock clicked open. "I'll return them Monday morning."_

"_I don't know if this is such a good idea – " she said uncertainly, looking around._

"_It's going to be okay Clarke," Bellamy assured her, taking her hand again and leading her inside the building. "Trust me."_

_Clarke nodded after a moment's hesitation and suddenly fell silent again. He wondered if she could somehow sense how big of a moment this was for him, could sense the growing tension in his body. His chest felt tight as his heart picked up speed._

_He led her to a seemingly random spot on the first floor, across from the cafeteria and next to a row of lockers. Clarke looked around, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What are we doing here?" She asked, mystified. _

"_You don't recognize this place?" He asked, thrusting his hands in his pockets nervously._

"_Sure I do."_

"_You do?" He asked, taken by surprise._

"_Sure. I pass through this hallway everyday on the way to my AP Chemistry class."_

"_Nerd," he murmured, absently tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "But that's not what I was talking about. This spot right here is where I met you for the first time."_

_Her eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh yeah!" She exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "That was the day you spilled my hot chocolate all over me and my white shirt. How could I have forgotten?"_

"_I don't know. I sure as hell didn't forget," Bellamy added, laughing at the look Clarke gave him. "What was it that you called me? Or yelled at me in front of the entire school, rather?"_

"_A blind, self absorbed asshole with his head up his ass," Clarke mused, smiling reminiscently. "And you called me a – "_

"_Pretentious, spoiled princess," Bellamy finished, watching her laugh at the memory. The feelings that had been swirling around inside him for the past couple of weeks flared hot inside him. He felt like his heart was swelling to three times its normal size and he knew that his decision, his choice to do this had been the right one._

"_God, that feels like so long ago," she sighed. "It was only last year – "_

"_October 14__th__," Bellamy said quietly._

_Clarke fell silent again, the traces of humor fading from her face as she watched him closely, her eyes flickering between both of his. "Exactly one year from today," She said slowly._

_He nodded, moving a bit closer to her, their eyes still locked on each other. "I didn't know it at the time, but bumping into you and nearly knocking you over was the best thing that had ever happened to me."_

_She smiled, wrinkling her nose as her hands reaching out to grasp the sides of his shirt by his hips. "That was kind of cheesy," she teased._

_He tapped her nose with a finger. "Sh. I'm trying to make a heartfelt speech here."_

"_Sorry," Clarke said, trying to wipe the smile from her face and looking up at him expectantly. "Go on."_

_He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed it again with a snap, frustrated. He had all the feelings inside him, he knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't form the words or get them out. Irritated, he ran a hand through his hair. _

"_We've only been dating for six months, but those have been some of the best months. I've dated other girls before – "_

_Clarke wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Do you really have to bring that up?"_

"_But this is different," he went on, ignoring her interruption. He felt inadequate and knew this wasn't going the way he wanted to. "I just - I want to say – "_

_Distracted, Clarke frowned and looked over his shoulder, peering through the dark. "Did you hear that?" She asked. "It sounded like – "_

"_Damn it Clarke, would you be quiet, I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with you!" Bellamy demanded without thinking, his voice raised._

"_But I think… I…" Her eyes widened as what he said just sank in, and Bellamy counted a full give seconds as she stood there, face frozen. He would have thought it was funny if it weren't for the fact that his heart was trying to climb out through his throat. "What did you just say?" She whispered in disbelief._

"_I'm in love with you," he told her again, his voice earnest and serious._

_A brilliant, breathtaking smile broke out over Clarke's face as she wrapped her arms around Bellamy's neck and pulled his lips down to hers. It was a deep, passionate kiss that had Bellamy momentarily forgetting where he was, what he was doing and hell – everything except the beautiful girl in his arms._

_When she pulled back, panting, he blinked a few times trying to get his brain working again. "Wait," he said suddenly, frowning down at her. "Do you have something you want to say to me?"_

_Grinning slightly, her arms still around his neck, she pecked him once more on the lips. "I love you too, Bellamy Blake. Of course I do." Her eyes traced over his features as if she was trying to memorize his face. She raised a hand to his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly over his lips, which parted instinctively. "How could I not?" She whispered in a thick voice._

_His hands tightened on her hips, his heart racing again for an entirely different reason. "Say it again," he demanded, eyes wide._

"_I," Clarke said softly, kissing him lightly between each word. "Love. You."_

_His heart rose in his chest, elation and triumph filling him till he felt like he could float a few inches off the floor. He tugged her hips towards him with one hand the other burying itself in her hair, holding her in place in order to kiss her properly. His lips coaxed hers open, his tongue meeting hers as he attempted to put all his feelings into this one kiss. _

_Clarke pulled back once more, brow furrowed. "Okay, please tell me you heard that," she said quietly, looking around. _

"_What?" Bellamy said, huskily, not understanding a word she was saying._

"_Shh!" Clarke hissed quickly, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Listen."_

_Bellamy huffed against her hand but fell silent anyway. After a moment he heard the sound of a door opening and closing and footsteps echoing down the hallway, definitely coming closer. A flashlight beam appeared around the corner, flashed over them for a second and came back._

"_Hey!" A man's voice echoed around them. "Who's there?"_

"_Shit," Bellamy breathed. "It's the security guard. Come on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her along, breaking into a run. _

_Clarke's hand tightened on his, her eyes wide with panic as they ran. "What are we going to do?"_

_He glanced at her and couldn't help but grin, at the look on her face, at the situation they were in, at the sound of the fat security guard huffing and puffing along behind them. "Oh come on, Clarke," he teased, turning a corner and tugging her down another hallway. "Where's your sense of adventure?"_

_Clarke muttered something under her breath, looking over her shoulder to see how close the security guard was. "Quick, in here!" She hissed, skidding to a halt and pulling Bellamy into a nearby classroom, shutting the door behind them. They pressed their ears against it, listening until the security guard panted his way past. _

_When his footsteps faded, Bellamy turned to her, unable to resist giving her another passionate kiss, caught up in the moment. Still grinning, he strode across the room and unlocked the window, pushing it up in order to climb out and jump down onto the ground. He turned as Clarke climbed up on the counter next, putting his hands on her waist and helping her down._

_Hand in hand they crouched, running as fast as they could across the line, only stopping when they reached the tree line. Panting, they collapsed against each other, laughing until they couldn't breathe. "I can't believe that just happened," Clarke said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We're lucky that guard was overweight you know, otherwise I don't know if we would have been able to outrun him."_

"_Of course we would have," Bellamy chuckled, his hands settling around her waist again. "I'm captain of the soccer team, you know, I can out run anybody."_

"_Modest as always," Clarke teased, her arms looping around his neck. She had just raised herself on her tip toes and brushed her lips against his when she blinked as a raindrop fell on her forehead. Three drops later, and the skies opened up, pouring rain and soaking them within seconds. She laughed again, closing her eyes and tilting her head up. "Breaking into the school and bringing me to the spot where you first met me in order to tell me that you loved me was so romantic, Bellamy. But the whole kissing in the rain thing? That's a bit cliché, don't you think?"_

_Bellamy rolled his eyes as he watched her, an affectionate smile on his face as she stuck out her tongue like a four year old to catch the raindrops on her tongue. He'd been wrestling with these feelings inside him for weeks now, but he'd stopped trying to fight it any longer. He loved Clarke Griffin with everything he had inside him, all the romantic and gooey feelings included. _

_She was officially his and he wasn't going to let her go for anything._

Except he had let her go. He had pushed her away, thrown her as far from him as he could, feeling nothing except the cold painful knife that she had thrust through his heart. She had lost his trust as well as his love, but now… he was wondering if that had been a mistake. Clarke had been such a huge part of his life once and now she might not be in it at all.

Fighting the urge to punch his fist through the mirror in frustration, Bellamy splashed some cold water on his face and left the men's room. Octavia looked up as he approached, searching his face carefully. He didn't know what she saw there, but she stayed silent as he collapsed next to her, a fact which he was grateful for.

They waited, mostly in silence, for news of how Clarke's surgery went. Raven and Finn showed up shortly after, followed by Jasper. After solemn hellos, and a few unanswerable questions about Clarke's condition, they all settled down to wait.

Three hours and 47 minutes later, an exhausted looking Dr. Marks came into the waiting room. They all stood, waiting anxiously as he approached them. Not liking the look on the doctor's face, Bellamy thrust his hands deep into his pockets, a feeling of dread washing over him.

"How is she?" Octavia demanded, taking a few steps towards the doctor.

"There were some complications – " Bellamy's heart stuttered to a stop. "But the surgery went well." It restarted again, relief shooting through him. "We were able to treat the Intraparenchymal hemorrhage before it was too late."

"And the complications?" Raven asked insistently, crossing her arms to hide her shaking hands.

"Ms. Griffin, I'm afraid, has slipped into a coma."

The words bounced around Bellamy's brain, and suddenly he was unable to breathe.

"A coma?" Octavia repeated weakly, while everyone else stood there in stunned disbelief. "How could this have happened? When is she going to wake up?"

The doctor shrugged apologetically. "It could be two days, two weeks, two months… there's no way to tell."

"Can we see her?" Octavia asked the doctor, a pleading note in her voice. The doctor hesitated. "Please?"

"Alright," he conceded. "But we're going to have to go in shifts, we can't have too many people in the ICU."

They all looked around at each other. "You and Bellamy should go first," Jasper told Octavia softly, unable to hide the worry and concern written everywhere on his face. The sight of it caused a sour feeling in Bellamy's mouth.

Octavia glanced up at Bellamy then nodded. "Okay. Lead the way Dr. Marks."

The doctor beckoned them forward. Octavia asked some medical questions about how Clarke's surgery went and Bellamy zoned out as they walked. As they got closer to her room, Bellamy had the strongest desire to flee. Before he could, however, they had stopped in front of room 312.

Dr. Marks turned to face them. "Before we go in, there are a few things you should know. For right now, Ms. Griffin is on a ventilator until such a time that she can breathe on her own. A feeding tube has been administered as well. In addition to the coma, Ms. Griffin sustained other injuries. I mentioned the piece of glass that we removed from her thigh – we were able to successfully remove that without puncturing her femoral artery and stitch her up. The distal radius in her right wrist was fractured in two places and she has several bruised ribs as well as numerous cuts and bruises. If Ms. Griffin does wake up – "

"When," Octavia interrupted fiercely, her eyes flashing dangerously. "When she wakes up."

"If, Ms. Blake," Dr. Marks said gently. "Ms. Griffin sustained a severe head injury and while we did everything we could, you need to be aware of the possibility that Ms. Griffin won't wake up. If she does wake up, the recovery process will be slow. Some coma patients wake up feeling perfectly fine while others need to be coached how to talk and walk again." He was silent for a moment as he allowed this to sink in. "Do you have any questions?" They shook their heads. "Alright then. You may go in. Let me know if you need anything."

Octavia went in first, Bellamy slowly following behind her. When Bellamy saw Clarke lying on that bed, he swore under his breath, feeling like he had just been punched in the stomach.

She looked small, lying there in the white hospital gown in that white bed. Nothing at all like the vibrant, strong woman that he had been with not even 12 hours ago. She was pale, which accentuated the red scratches and dark purple bruises on her face. There were small tubes in her nose, one large tube coming out of her throat and one in the vein in her arm. He could see the thick cast on her right wrist but what really drew his attention was the thick bandages wrapped around her head, almost completely obscuring her blonde hair. The amount of machines that were surrounding her were alarming.

For a moment the only sound in the room was the steady beeping of one of the machines.

"Oh my god," Octavia breathed, sounding horrified.

Guilt climbed up his throat, twisting his stomach unpleasantly. "I have to go!" He blurted out suddenly, feeling like he was going to pass out if he stayed in that room for one moment longer.

He didn't hear Octavia calling after him, didn't see where he was going or who he bumped into as he fled. He only became aware of his surroundings once more when he was in the lobby of the hospital, listening to someone shout at the receptionist that had helped him earlier.

"Her name is Clarke Griffin, I got a call from you a couple of hours ago and took the first flight I could find. Now, where is my daughter? I want to see her!"

Abby Griffin was standing there, looking very disheveled and angry.

"Bellamy!" Raven called, noticing him standing there and hurrying over. "Why are you back so fast? Did you see Clarke already?"

Abby's head snapped around, her gaze locking on him and her nostrils flaring when she recognized him. His face became stony in response. "You!" She snarled, stomping over to him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" Raven asked, flaring up in response to the woman's tone.

"I'm Clarke's mother," she snapped, barely sparing Raven a glance. "Now, I'll ask you one more time, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving," he responded in a hollow voice. He brushed past her heading outside to his car. He needed a drink. Several drinks in fact, if he wanted to erase the image of Clarke lying in that hospital bed from his mind.

**_9 days later … _**

Sudden light flooded into his bedroom, causing Bellamy to groan in pain and bury his head further into his pillows.

"Get your ass out of bed, Bellamy Blake," A female's no-nonsense voice said loudly.

"Go away, Octavia," he moaned into his pillows.

"Do you realize that I've called you multiple times every day over the past week? At first I thought you needed time to come to terms with what happened to Clarke, but this is getting ridiculous. Going to work during the day and getting plastered at night to forget what's going on is a completely irresponsible way to handle the situation. Now get up and take a shower, you smell like beer and sweat."

She stomped off, banging around in the kitchen and Bellamy groaned again. He knew his sister too well to think that she would just give up and leave him alone. Blearily opening his eyes, Bellamy rolled out of bed and stumbled into the shower.

15 minutes later, Octavia had hustled him into the passenger seat of her car, a cup of coffee in his hand as they headed out to brunch.

"Not that you asked," Octavia said in an annoyed voice. "But Clarke is doing better. They took the ventilator out a couple of days ago, and they say her brain activity has increased, which is a good sign."

"And Mrs. Griffin?" Bellamy asked in a casual voice.

"She hasn't left Clarke's side since she got there. And man she hates you," Octavia laughed humorlessly for a few seconds, but it faded quickly. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on with you? What's with all the self-destructive behavior? I mean, I know this is typical Bellamy but – "

"It's my fault, Octavia!" Bellamy interrupted, the guilt nearly overwhelming him once more. "She was leaving my apartment that night, upset about something that I did – "

Octavia's jaw had flopped open. "_That's_ what this was about?"

"What did you think - ?"

"I don't know! But Bellamy, it's not your fault – the blame lies entirely with the guy who was driving drunk and hit them. You were not driving that car."

Bellamy shook his head. "If she wasn't with me, she wouldn't have been in that taxi in the first place."

"Oh will you stop," Octavia drawled, rolling her eyes. "The amount of self-disgust you carry within you is alarming and damaging. You did not cause Clarke's accident and I don't want to hear another word about it."

He shook his head, a small smile playing around the corners of his lips. It slipped off his face quickly when he saw where they were. "Octavia," he said slowly, narrowing his eyes at her. "You said we were going to brunch. Why are we at the hospital?"

"Because I happen to know for a fact that Abby went to the hotel for a few hours of sleep, and you haven't seen Clarke since the ten second glance you gave her that first day."

"She's in a coma, Octavia. What am I supposed to do, just sit there?"

"You can, if that's what feels right to you. Supposedly if you talk to them some coma patients can hear what you're saying." She sighed, looking tired. "I've been here everyday, talking to her, telling her what's going on… begging her to wake up. It helps." She paused, then put a hand on his arm. "You can do this, Bellamy."

He nodded, getting out of the car and heading inside.

He paused outside her door, his hand hovering over the doorknob. Swallowing harshly and berating himself for acting like a wimp, he moved quickly, opening the door and stepping inside. Closing his eyes for a moment to gather his strength, he walked farther into the room and there she was.

She still looked pale, but the scratches and bruises looked less severe and the tube was out of her throat. Maybe she was getting better. Unsure of what to do, he hesitated, then went to sit on the chair next to her bed. After sitting there for a few moments and feeling awkward, he slowly reached out and took Clarke's undamaged hand.

"I don't really know what to say," he started, sitting forward on the edge of the chair in order to see her face better. "Octavia told me that talking to you helps somehow. I don't even know if you can hear me. I guess I should apologize, for not coming to see you sooner. For doing whatever I did to cause you flee from my apartment last week." He paused as his throat started to burn. "For everything that happened between us eight years ago. It wasn't handled correctly and I'm sorry for the amount of pain that it caused both of us." A humorless smile crossed his lips. "You'd probably yell at me for saying all this when you're unconscious. Part of me hopes you won't even remember this when you wake up." His thumb absently began rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand. "Do you remember the night when we broke into the high school? The night I first told you I loved you? I swore to myself that you would be mine forever. What happened to us Clarke? I – "

He broke off, his wide eyes gazing down at her hand. He could have sworn that Clarke's fingers just twitched within his own. "Clarke?" He said softly, his heart racing. "Clarke can you hear me?"

As he watched in complete disbelief, Clarke turned her head, her brow furrowed as she slowly and what looked like painfully began to open her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered a few times, squinting against the florescent light. They wandered uncomprehendingly around the room before coming to rest on him.

When he saw those brilliant blue eyes, a relieved smile broke out over his face as he stood, coming closer to sit on the edge of her bed. "Oh thank god, you're awake! Everyone has been so worried about you. Let me get a doctor." He pressed the call button on the wall next to Clarke's bed, before coming back to sit next to her. Slowly, he carefully reached out, unable to resist gently running the back of his hand on her cheek, needing to touch her in order to believe that she was still alive. Maybe it was the relief rushing through him or maybe it was the memory that had resurfaced earlier. Either way, he couldn't resist. "How are you feeling Clarke?"

Frowning slightly, she gingerly moved her head out of his reach. Looking up at him with a mixture of confusion and wariness, she opened her mouth for the first time and asked a question that made his heart sink.

"Who are you?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow, that chapter got away from me! I can't believe how long that turned out, but that's the reason I haven't updated in a while. I wanted it to be perfect! Please keep in mind that I did all my own research and I don't have a beta for this story – so if any of the information is wrong, I apologize.**

**I love to read all your comments and guesses about what's coming next… so what do you think will happen with Clarke and Bellamy? Was Bellamy and Octavia's reaction up to your expectations?**

**As always, please don't forget to leave a review! It takes only a few seconds, while this chapter took me many hours to write.**

**You guys are the best. Until next time! :)**


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